BROKEN STAR
by crystalheart81
Summary: I've played too much star dew valley and this clawed it's way out of my brain. It's much darker than I had in mind when I started. Some dark themes, some gore but not graphic, and heavy angst at points.
1. Chapter 1

BROKEN STAR

Chapter 1: Exodus from Heindoism

Yin stared blankly out of the dingy, tinted windows of the bus. She didn't want to think about why she had choosen to take on a farm in the middle of nowhere or the fact that this may just be the challenge that kills her already dying soul. She didn't have a choice. She'd been burned too many times back in Zuzu city to back out now. Even if she hadn't, she would still be here.

The city life had been slowly killing her: the smog, the all night benders, the one night stands, the soul crushing drudgery that was Joja Mart, and Steven. She'd fallen into massive debt as a result of her recklessness over the years. She had ran away from home at 14 after her mother had committed suicide. It had been a downward spiral from there. Nova, her drug of choice, kept her going through her heart ache and Joja's insane scheduling. What had happened to her recently broke what little resolve she had left.

Maybe, she'd find peace in Stardew Valley. Open sky, solitude, and the sounds of nature allowing her to find the spark she'd lost. Relying on Nova to keep her going was just too expensive these days and, even working massive overtime hours, she was only able to pay the interest on the massive credit card debt she'd accrued. She could only hope that moving to the farm and quitting Nova would save her and her grandfather's legacy from falling into Joja's slimy hands. If not, well, she had grandpa's other gift; a hand-gun that he'd weilded during the first Gotoro uprising. It had a few more shots left in it but if things got that bad again, she'd only need one. " _Perhaps the apple didn't fall far from the tree after all_.", she thought bitterly.

Her first day had gone by like a whirlwind. So many new faces and so much work but somehow she'd managed to clear enough area to start growing a few things. She was exhausted and starving but she had accomplished more than she thought she would. She had ventured into town only long enough to find the gerneral store and buy a few more seeds to fill out what she'd already tilled. Her stomach grumbled again but she did her best to ignore it as she tried to quell the doubt that clung to her thoughts. She couldn't go back so she had to make this work. Her fist goal other than crops would be finding a reliable souce of food.

 _Sunday 7th of Spring_

A week had passed and she felt like she was finally making progress. Finding a spring onion patch south of Marnie's farm as well as other forage had been a godsend and she had finally cleared out all but the back and western section of the property. She had made a nice bit of gold between fishing, the newly open mines, and the first batch of crops she'd been able to grow. Not nearly enough but she was able to pay more this month than she ever had in Zuzu. Robin was right about there being good soil underneath all that overgrowth, too bad she failed to mention the monsters that prowled after sunset.

Yin had been clearing out underbrush in the sothern corner of her farm on her second day when the sun's light faded from the horizon. She hadn't been bothered by the lack of light until she heard the russling behind her. The green gelatinous beast lunged and she could barely move as the thick gel it sprayed her with nearly glued her to the spot. She'd made it back to the farm but just barely. Dispatching the creature with her sickle had taken more blows than one would think and had consumed most of her remaning energy.

It wasn't long after that she learned of the thriving monster population in the mines and the barrier that protected the town. Why her farm wasn't protected was never brought up and she was too afraid to ask. A deep sense of forboding washed through her when she pondered it for too long. She couldn't shake the feeling that grandpa had left some key information out of his letter.

"Hey Yin!", called Robin as she walked up to the bar to grab her and her husband's drinks. "I heard from Linus you've been spending time in the mines. Please be very careful down there. I don't see why you can't just buy ores from Clint, but I know I can't stop you from going down into that blasted pit." Robin's tray of drinks wobbled slightly and she turned her sorrowful gaze down to steady it.

Yin sighed as she finished her beer. As much as she appreciated Robin's concern, she was annoyed with how over-protective she could be at times. She didn't entirely blame her though. She had lost her first husband in the mines. As much as Robin had grown to love Demetrius, the death of her first husband had left it's scars on her.

Yin's friendship with her was a strange one to say the least. Robin just assumed they were friends from the first day and Yin never dissuaded her of the notion. Yin wasn't quite sure where she stood on the issue but she didn't mind. Pushy as Robin could be, Yin knew she was a good person who was just trying to look out for her.

Yin nodded solmonly at the woman, not bothering to respond. Robin didn't seem to know her farm was just as dangerous when the light faded. No one in town seemed to realize the danger from what she could gather. She didn't ask anyone outright, fearing the people would doubt her sanity but she did make subtle inquiries about the place in more general terms. The only people who even hinted at anything being amiss were Mayor Lewis, Marion, and Rasmodius, none of whom would give her a straight answer.

She hurried up the path, past the rundown bus stop, praying she'd make it back to the relative saftey of her home before the last of the sunlight faded. She needed to find someone or something to clue her in about the farm but she was getting fustrated. She slammed the door behing her, panting in fatigue, as the lengthening shadows began moving outside her door in unatural ways. Her campfire out front, the only source of light she had due to her limited rescources and skill, flickered in the slight breeze. The creatures didn't like the light but would creep out of the shadows for a swipe at her if she lingered too long.

Yin sat wearily at her rickety desk, dropping the books she'd take from the library with a heavy thud. Despite Robin's sales pitch her first day here, she chose not to upgrade her house. She missed having a kitchen but she just couldn't justify the cost with how much debt she was in. Her side ached from the gash that had only recently stopped oozing from the day's mining excursion. Medical care was another expense that she was loath to pay unless she was activley dying. The valley's strange magic aided her in it's own way in this regard. She was surprised that the food and drink that came from this place had such astonding healing properties, even more astonded that Joja hadn't sucked the valley dry of the mysterious power.

As she understood, it wasn't for lack of trying. They had been a major reason for the mines being in the shape they were. They had been trying to deepen their pockets, pushing the workers deeper into the caves and blasting everything that got in their way but, in their haste, they had release the horrors that now dwelled there. The elder townspeople had warned them. The church of Yoba had warned them. Her grandfather had warned them 30 years ago but their greed would not be satisfied. George didn't visit the tavern often but on the rare occasion he was there, he'd been a gold mine of information.

Morris's father Carghal, had been the one to break the original contract with ruthless abandon and little concern for anything other than profit. When George had his accident, he had lost not just his legs but both his brothers in the resulting cave in. He sued the pants of Joja, gathering others who had suffered under their ruthless mining practices. Morris had been assistant supervisor at the time and was shaping up to be just like his father. Unfortunately he didn't have the experience to recognize the danger of that weakened support beam nor the runic warding seal.

After 15 hard fought years, George had triumphed. Morris had been thrown under the bus to help the company save face and now he was just a manager of one of the least profitable Joja marts in the region. It was cold comfort to George, who had to see the man he personlly held resposible for his brother's deaths, slithering through town like he owned it. Morris himself took no responsibility for the accident and would tell just about anyone who confronted him that it wasn't his fault.

Yin rewrapped her wound before gently laying down on her bed. She was exhausted but her mind wouldn't slow down. Going off Nova cold turkey was not easy and sleeplessness was one of the milder problems. But tonight her luck was better than most, and, inspite of the shuffling footsteps and occasional screech of the monsters outside, sleep found her.

 _-Dream-_

 _A great star fell from the heveans, shattering as it burned through the atmosphere. Twelve starshards pulsed with light around her before falling dim in the grey void. A shadowed specter touched her arm and pointed west. A young heart-broken wizard knelt on the ground sobbing over a purple haired baby as the woman before him turned away being swallowed by the grey, her skin turning green as the tendrils wrapped around her. A strange darkness enveloped Yin and she tried to reach out to the woman. The light started to fade from Yin's vision. Twelve shards flickered reaching out to her with tendrils of faint white light but the grey mist was draining her. She fought and kicked and cursed with no results and finally, with no other option left, she reached out for the tendrill of light energy but just before she could touch it..._

-End Dream-

 _Saturday 13th of Spring_

Yin woke slowly, fog still enveloping her mind. She turned, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep but the sharp pain that gripped her drove any reminents of sleep from her mind. The dream was fading but she wrote down as much as she could in her dream journal. Her wound had closed ove,r but the now closed gash was still painfully tender. Any hope of even just lying in for a bit longer shattered when she heard a heaving knock on her front door. Sighing, she reluctantly dragged herself out of bed. The bright sunlight creeping through her window seemed to mock her with it's cheery golden glow.

"Yin!" She heard Robin exclaim, the voice muffled through the wood of her front door.

"Just a minute.", she groused, struggling to pull her shirt over her head as she exited her bedroom. Throwing open her door she glowered at her friend.

"What, in Yoba's name, are you doing banging on my door at this ungodly hour? It's not even 7 am yet. For your sake, the town better be on fire or overrun with monsters because there's no other reason for anyone to be up this early."

"Good one Yin." Robin smiled, walking past her into her house as if she owned the place. "You're not a morning person then? Neither am I usually, but today is important and I am not gonna let you stay hold up on this farm like a hermit. Besides, I brought Gus's finest coffee to kick your ass into gear."

God, Yin hated this woman right now but her ears perked at the mention of coffee. She grabbed the cup from her hand without a word, taking in the heavenly aroma. Oh Yoba, she had missed coffee so much since moving here. It was a luxury she hadn't allowed herself since it was so pricey. Robin wouldn't die today, but even with the liquid focus flowing through her system, she was still not happy about being woken up this early. She finished her cup before speaking, Robin hadn't bothered to draw her out in conversation yet, instead choosing to poke about her living room curiously, giving her friend time to absorb her offering

"Now that I'm less likely to beat you up, why are you here at the crack of dawn anyway?" Yin asked, noticing the beeming smile she was being given as she wiped the stray drops of coffee from the corners of her mouth.

"Today is the first festival of the year and it's a great oppertunity to meet everyone in town. I've noticed you haven't been engaging much with anyone outside of the shopkeeps and the mayor. I know you're trying to get the farm up and running but you need to make some friends. Just come to this one festival today and I promise you won't regret it."

Yin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She appreciated what Robin was doing, she really did, but she was not thrilled with wasting the day with people she barely knew. There was so much she could be accoplishing but as she looked at her friend's emploring expression, she relented. Damn woman would be here dragging her from sleep every festival if she didn't.

"Fine, you win, but you have to swear that you won't ever wake me up before 8 ever again. I don't care if the entire valley's ablaze or you have an entire keg of coffee. I am not a happy camper in the morning, at the best of times, and down right evil otherwise."

"Deal! I'll even be extra nice and help you water and harvest you crops today. Besides, this festival is good for business too since it's the only time Pierre will part with his strawberry seeds. I'll finish here and you till a new row to plant them in. If you have some speed grow you might get an extra harvest of of them before the summer heat kills them."

 _Egg Festival_

Yin smiled as she walked into town, the atmosphere of celebration was infectious and erasing the slight dower mood her rude awakening had caused. Robin had left an hour before the festival was to begin so she could get ready. She caught up to her at the woodcarving station and admired her handiwork before perusing the other booths. The blacksmith, Clint, had put in a good showing despite his shyness. His crafts speaking more fluently of his skill than he could.

Pierre was cheerfuly advertising his wares for the event and she purchased a few of the strawberry seeds. She'd only get one, maybe two harvests out of them if she planted them tonight with speed-gro but she knew they'd be worth the investment.

She walked around for a little while, sampling the wonderful buffet. It was the first time since leaving Zuzu that she felt full. Foraging was enough to keep her from starvation but wasn't quite enough to make her feel satisfied. She never ate any of the crops she grew, knowing that every last bit of gold she could make needed to go toward her debt.

She studied the people as she let her meal settle. She'd introduced herself to the people she hadn't run into at the tavern or Pierre's but felt no inclination to get too close to anyone socially just yet. She was never shy around people before, but, she reminded herself, she hadn't been sober in a social mixer enviroment in a long time.

An umfamiliar itch crawled through her veins as her chest constricted. The wide open plaza seemed too crowded and the sweet cloying smell of flowers was suffocating. She was falling... _Breath in..._ too many bodies around her. _Breath out.. Everyone get back and give her space._ She clawed at her bicepts, the pain of her nails ripping the flesh gave her a jolt but the terrible feeling that had overcome her was fading. She focus on the pain and the voice guiding her to breath as she fell back into awareness. Oh god, what had happened to her. She was on the ground curled into the fetal position.

She looked up trying to get her bearings and locked gazes with the most alluring green eyes she'd ever seen. She couldn't do this. She rolled away from the concerned gaze and got up, ignoring the slight sting in her side and the prickles of pain in her bicepts and ran. It was all too much and she didn't stop running until she reached the saftey of her cabin.

Yin slid down the door no longer fighting the prickle in her eyes. Hot tears splashed down her cheeks as she struggled to calm her breathing and racing heart. What happened to her back there? She stumbled to her writing desk and searched for the book she thought would have the answer.

 _Nova is one of the most difficult addictions to fight. Those who stop taking the drug for longer than two weeks experience a miriade of painful physical symptoms including sleeplessness, fatigue, lack of appetite, tremors, and anemia, as the body uses up it B-6 amd B-12 reserves to cleanse the cells. As trying as the physical symptoms can be, it is the psycological changes that usually break the will of the recovering addict if they don't have proper support in place. These symptoms include panic attacks, racing thoughts, depression, general anxiety and in some cases suicidal idealizations or attempts._

She had a panic attack then. She should have expected that but the intensity of it had blindsided her. She heard pounding on her door and closed her eyes. Taking in a deep breath and exhaling she got up from her desk. She knew full well that Robin wouldn't stop until she answered if only to tell her to go away. She threw open the door.

"Robin, I'm fine just please go a...", she stopped. It was not just Robbin at her door. She fought the urge to bang her head on the doorframe in frustration.

"Robin please just take your friend and leave. I appreciate the concern but I'll be okay. I just need to be alone for a while."

"I insisted on comming along. As a doctor, its my responsibility to make sure your okay. My name is Dr. Harvey, please let us come in."

She reluctantly oblidge him, shooting Robin a glare. Robin, for her part, raised her hands in surrender gesturing as best she could that she had not wanted to bring him anymore that Yin wanted him there.

"Yin, please take a seat. I just want to check your vitals." Harvey said, noting the rigid posture and closed off expression. This was his first real meeting with Yin, not counting the brief greetings they'd exchanged at Gus's tavern when she first came in. "Look, Harvey," she said trying to find a polite way to avoid his scrutiny. "I don't need a check-up. My attack wasn't a medical problem. I just paniced a bit being surrounded by so many unfamiliar people. I'll be fine with some rest." Yin stated softly, her posture trembling mildly.

Harvey sighed, he had a feeling she would be difficult but he couldn't shake the utter terror he'd seen in her eyes. He wanted to help her. He didn't know much about her or her life in Zuzu but he suspected things had never been easy for her. Shane had a similar shadowed gaze in his eyes that Harvey knew hid terrible dispair. He was a doctor and his only desire was to aid those that needed help. But he couldn't help someone who didn't want it and it tore at his spirit ever so slightly to see people suffer like this. It reminded him too much of his residency at Zuzu Medical.

"I can't force you, I suppose. If this is something you've dealt with before, I can only trust your judgement. Please know that my office is always open to you." He said, standing and packing his stethescope back into his bag.

"Whether you need my services or not, please keep in mind that Mayor Lewis does require me to have medical records for all town residents. I'll be sending a release form to you in the next few days for you to sign. I promise that I can keep your information with the utmost confidence but as the only certified Doctor in the area, it's important for me to know your medical history incase of emergency."

"I'll keep that in mind, Dr Harvey." Yin said, a tight smile on her face. She really didn't want to let him see her medical history but she knew he wouldn't take no for an answer. She watched him leave before turning to Robin, who had the decency to look guilty, at least.

"I know it wasn't your choice to bring him here, so you can stop acting like a kicked puppy. How many people saw my feak out?"

"Don't be embarassed, if you had told me you had a problem with crowds, I wouldn't have been so pushy about you going to the festival. I'm sorry."

"Look, Robin, don't beat yourself up about this okay. I didn't know I had a problem with crowds either, it had never been an issue in Zuzu City. Don't worry youself about it."

"If you say so. If you need anything just give me a holler. My husband might stop by tomorrow, just so you know. He mentioned wanting to use the cave at the northern part of your farm for research."

Robin showed herself out, fighting the underbrush a bit before leaving her farm through the northern path. It was almost 6 pm and Yin had almost forgotten the strawberry seeds she wanted to plant until she saw the damp, tilled ground next to her thriving potatoes and kale. Cursing softly, she put her shoes back on and ran outside to plant her new crop. It was close to eight before she was done and she crawled back inside her house in exhaustion. Taking out the medical kit she brought from Zuzu she used the last of her gauze to wrap the deep puncture wounds a bat had given her. She never thought she'd miss mosquitoes.


	2. Sins of the Past

Chapter 2: The Sins of the Past

 _Wednesday 17th of Spring_

Yin checked her mail and frowned. She had two letters, one was from Harvey with the realese form he rne he'd send out and the other was from her father. She sat down on her porch and read the letter from her father, a grim frown.

Dear _Yin_ ,  
Have you settled into your new life yet? I can't believe you're all grown up now... Time sure flies. Now that you're gone I have all this extra money laying around, so I included a little gift.  
Love, Dad.

To anyone who read the letter it seemed harmless enough. Just a typical good luck letter from a loving father to his daughter. Her temper flared as she crumpled the note and tore up the check he'd included. She'd ran away for more reasons than her mother's death and he had no right to track her down now. She focus her breath and fought to calm the malestrom of emotions that were twisting in her chest. Her father hadn't cared about her, nor her mother.

It wasn't untill after Yins birth that her father revealed his true intentions for marrying her mother. He knew about this farm and he wanted it for himself. Supposedly it was his ticket to reaching the higher eschelon of Joja Corp's ranks, given their keen interest in the valley's secrets. He was positively obsessed with it and her mother suffered terrible degridation and abuse in his pursuit of that goal. Yin hadn't known anything about it until the tender age of seven when she came home to find her mother crying on the kitchen floor with grandpa's gun to her head. It was just a few months after grandpa passing and the site had shocked and frightened her to the very core.

She didn't try to take the gun from her mother. She walked over to her, joining her on the kitchen floor and held her. She didn't know how to help but she wanted her mother to know she loved her. Her mother cried harder but put the gun down and hugged her small body tightly, almost crushing, but Yin didn't let go or complain. Her mother told her everything then, unloading her burdens onto Yin's tiny shoulder's and she just held her mother and let her speak. They shared a closer bond after that, unhealthy as it was, she was there for her mother. Her mother was also there for her when her father's increasingly malicious anger became more focused on her.

She was a smart child, and she hadn't been foolish enough to confront her father. She also did not want to betray her mother's trust. Inspite of Yin's silence, her father began abusing her as well, noticing her closer bond with her mother. When her mother wasn't able to go on and sucessfully took own life, Yin was faced with his full ire. He told her about grampa's farm and how the deed had been suspisiously absent from both grampa's and her mother's will.

Yin knew exactly where the deed was but she wouldn't give that bastard the satisfaction. He had taken too much from her and her mother and she'd be damned if he got his slimy hands on the only family legacy her mother had kept from him. She waited until six months after her mother's funeral to make her escape. She had thought she was free after she turned 18. But here she was, through her own stupidity, she had fallen into Joja Corp's debt and if she didn't pay it off by the end of the year...

She wouldn't even consider that possibility, she had to succeed. Her lingering fear and doubt would not leave her as she went about her day. Harvey's letter laid forgotton on her cluttered writing desk.

 _Friday 19_ _th_ _of Spring_

Yin had ephiphany, as she finished placing the quality sprinklers she bought off the travelling merchant. She needed a failsafe to protect the farm. She was working her ass off but she couldn't shake the fear that it wouldn't be enough. Today was not a lucky day so mining was out and she had been fishing quite a bit lately. The idea of standing on a muddy bank for another day made her sore back and legs twinge. She had sold quite a few crops today and reasoned that a day of lighter work won't be amiss. If her reasearch bore any fruit than this day might be worth more that all the ores in the mine.

She hadn't been in town since the festival and she tried to ignore the concerned glances of people as she made her way toward the library. She fought the now familiar tightness in her chest and didn't meet anyone's gaze. It was only when she was nestled in the far corner of the library with a book about inheritance law and Will construction that her breathing finally leveled out.

The book was dry and dull, written by lawyers, for lawyers, but she powered through. After six agonizing hours of reading and notetaking she had finally found what she hoped was a solid plan. The Ferngill Republic had always been a snake den of seedy politics and back room political deals. The wealthy and formerly noble had many means of protecting their fortunes and, most importantly, their ancestreal lands. Her farm fit these criteria, if only barely, and she found the safeguard she was looking for.

She packed up the notebook and photocopied the relevant pages. She ducked the glare aimed at her from Gunther as she finally exitted the library five minutes after it was supposed to close. She made a note to find a good relic to offer in apology before returning to her farm.

She didn't sleep that night, her fingers covered in ink as she wrote and rewrote her Will. Slowly, with frequent references to her copied pages and borrowed thesarus, she crafted her farm's last line of defense from Joja Mart's corruption. But the paper was meaningless if she didn't get it noterized and registered with the court. There was no notary in Pelican Town and, with trepidation, she realized she'd have to return to Zuzu city. The very idea made the ever constant weight in her chest tighten.

She tried to talk herself though it. It wasn't like she'd be living in Zuzu again, all she'd be doing is making a few stops and then taking the train right back. It wouldn't be anything more than a day trip and she'd be fine. But a deep shudder rolled through her slender frame and it wasn't entirely born of fear. She loved the valley but there were breif moments when she missed Zuzu.

She watched Elliot staring at the lazy stream that flowed through the village one day and her mind wandered. He reminded her of a failing romance writer she'd met at an upscale office party. Elliot was younger than him but his eyes had the same faraway look to them, lost in a world of his own design. She wondered if his younger hands would feel softer gliding up her back than the rough callosed ones of Greg. She practically ran back to her farm after that, trying to hid her blush.

Another time, she was just sitting at the bar enjoying a pint of Gus's cheapest swill. She noticed Shane glaring at her from the booth behind her. He was pissed that she had taken his stool or some bullshit like that. He was an asshole to be sure, but considering where he worked, she understood exactly why he was that way. She motioned to Gus to bring him a pint as a half assed apology, although she wasn't all that sorry. It's not like the stool has his name engraved on it.

She could feel the heat of his stare prickling the hairs on her neck. Then her trecherous mind converted that feeling into something else. Unbidden, her minds eye imagined those pouty lips of his kissing a trail down the back of her neck nipping at her nape. The scratchiness of his fithy hoodie as he pulled her down onto his jean clothed lap straining with his excitement and **NOPE**. She slammed the brakes on that train of thought, slamming her head on the bar rather painfully. Gus looked over to her in concern but she signaled that she was fine. She downed the rest of her beer in one big chug before high-tailing it home.

That was one of the problems with Stardew Valley. It was a small community and every so called secret rendevou was common knowlege the next day. The worst kept secret being Marnie and Lewis's clandestined meetings. One night stands were not an option if you didn't want to have a reputation. It was a difficult temptation to resist considering how utterly delectible the singles scene here was.

She missed Zuzu, where she could go to a seedy dive or upscale bar of eager men and women and just get her itched scratched. Rarely any names, no promises, just two strangers using one another for pleasure before parting ways back to their own lives. Zuzu was big enough that the odds of seeing that stranger again were next to nill. She lowered the chance even further by favoring the tourist bars geared toward the business sector.

She toyed with the idea of making her trip to Zuzu an overnight affair but decided against it. She realized, as much as she missed intimacy with someone, she wasn't ready for it. Her romantic trists always included a dose of Nova, which in the first few hours heightened arousal and euphoria. She'd never known consentual sex without it, and she didn't know if giving in to one tempation would lead her back down that path of self-destruction. Her self-imposed chastity, while torturous to bare, at times, was a necessary process if she wanted to separate the association between Nova and her sexuality.

She'd have time to consider things anyway since the train line was still blocked off thanks to the landslide. Joja was taking their sweet time clearing it out and they billed the project as "working to better the community" instead of the court mandated clean up it was. She read the paper and smiled visously at sputtering back peddle that Morris was forced to do when he was accused of slowing progress on the project to keep the valley residents dependant on Joja's trucking and delivery services. The people of Pelican Town weren't easily fooled sheeple, unlike Zuzu city counsel.

Yin skipped the flower dance after reading what it was about. She wasn't too keen on watching an old fashion courting festivial which was probably a remnant of the days of nobility, inspite of the promise of free food. At spring's end, she tallied her earnings and realized she'd exceeded her first season goal. She debated going to Gus's to celebrate but the mood didn't last that long. She checked her mail and noticed another letter from Dr. Harvey.

 _Dear Yin,_

 _I sent you a release form a week ago but I haven't gotten a response. I thought it might have gotten lost in the mail so I'm sending it again. I will need the form to access your record and assure Lewis that I am following ordinace. I know you don't want to but I don't have a choice. I'm not going to lie to Lewis and risk losing my license. If you do not present a valid medical history record or realease to access such, I will be forced to report it. You will be forced to leave Pelican town until the documents are surendered to me. I don't want that to happen but I don't have a say in it. I have stalled for you but that will run out Friday, the 12_ _th_ _of Summer. Please Yin, I know you're a private person but this has to be done. Like I said, no one, not even Lewis will have access to your record._

 _Sincerly,_

 _Doctor Harvey Miller_

 _Gerneral Practicioner_

 _Stardew Valley Community Clinic_

Yin placed the letter on her writing desk and put her head in her hands. She had completely forgotten about that. With the other letter that had arrived, she hadn't had time to think about Dr Harvey's order. She skimmed the letter again, noting the medical record or release section. She might have an idea on how to give him what he wanted without revealing too much of her shameful past. She wanted more than just to pay off her debts to Joja from this place. It was her only real chance at starting over, a chance she'd lose if he saw her medical history. She wasn't afraid that he'd tell anyone but rather that he wouldn't have to. He'd treat her differently, and in a small town like this, his change would be noticed and speculated on. The rumor mongers would either pester the information out of him or make up things that would be far worse to fill their curiosity. Her visit to Zuzu would include a third destination to the only place she knew would be willing to give her an edited version of her records, Southside free clinic.

 _Friday 5_ _th_ _of Summer_

"Yin! Wait up!" Yin slowed down as she heard Robin's voice call out to her. She had hoped to make a quiet exit to the newly opened station but her luck wasn't good enough today apparently. _Why did you lie to me Warwick?_ She hid her irritation with a smile as Robin ran to catch up to her, panting from the exertion.

"Not bailing ship, I hope? I've been trying to give you some space to collect yourself. I wasn't ignoring you! I was going to visit last week but then Maru tried to build that power generator again and Demetrius had to call the nuclear contamination squad this time to clean everything up and it was such a mess and..."

"Calm down, Robin. I'm not mad at you and I'm not leaving for good. I just need to tie up some lose ends and run some errands is all. I wondered why Joja was so quick to clean up the rest of the debris. If a bit of radiation's what it took for them to fix their mess than Maru has my gratitude." Yin laughed at the shocked expression on Robin's face. "I've heard the expression "light a fire under them" but I pretty sure they didn't mean nuclear fire! I'll let you go so you can catch your train but I'm glad your not leaving for good." Robin walked slowly back toward her house. Yin was glad Robin wasn't mad at her for not visiting. Maybe she should give her the benefit of the doubt and try to get to know her. Irritating as she could be, she had a good heart.

Yin squared her sholders as the train doors opened in Zuzu city terminal B. She kept vigilant of her surroundings as she walked the six blocks west from the station to the notary. Getting her document notarized was a faster process than she expected, but more expesive that she had originally guessed too. Her next stop was three blocks north but she made a detour to Pizza Palooza for a late lunch. She spotted a public library across the road and decided to make a copy of her notarized document before bring it to the court house.

Thankfully the library was much cheaper to make copies at that the highway robbery prices the notary charged and she made two copies. She had a saftey deposit box in Zuzu central bank and figured keeping one there would be a wise move. Filing her will at the court house had been much easier that she had anticipated, as well. They did charge a regristation and processing fee but the rates were more reasonable than she expected.

It was 3:30 when she finally rounded on her last errand. She steeled herself before entering the dilapitated buiding. The sign over the door was faded and peeling with black mold crinkling the edges between the warped wood and steel frame. The unpleasant smell of urine lingered in the humid summer air and the cracked, worn pavement of the parking lot was littered with shattered beer bottles and discarded needles, vials and platic bags. Gang signs marred the bricks of the building at the far end and she almost retched at the shirtless homeless man reaching into his pants, a twisted leering smile aimed in her direction as he leaned against a dumpster.

Southside Free Clinic was opened with the best of intentions twelve years ago. It was supposed to help give vital medical care to the poor and struggling people of the area. It was little more than a public aid scamming mill now. They stayed open depite ongoing investigations because they had new backers (read: drug dealers and gang lords) running the show. Most of the doctors who worked there were less than reputable and were willing to sign off on just about anything with the right kind of incentive. The doctor she was seeing owed her a big favor and she was here to collect.

Two hours, alot of barganing, and reminder that she still had the survalience tapes and the original documents and she had her sanitized records. Dr Delta was as crooked as any other doctor here but he still had some shred of medical ethics. He had tried to get her to leave certain things in the file, arguing that they would be necessary if she needed emergency medical care. He won some battles but lost most of them. As a result, her history did contain her Nova overdose but it was rewritten as first time user mistake. It wasn't uncommon to get Nova from one dealer that was heavily cut with other things and pure unadulterated Nova from another making dosing difficult especially for first time users. It had to be in the chart because Nova exposure did cause the body to react differently to certain medications years after exposure.

She cut much more than she kept from the record not wanting pity or scorn for a past she wanted to forget. She didn't want to remember the rough hands holding her down three months after she ran from home. The same lecherous leer as that homeless man out front plastered on his face as she fought and twisted trying to free herself but she couldn't breath, _couldn't breath,_ _ **CAN'T BREATH!**_

She swayed but fought off the blackness swirling at the edges of her vision. Staggering, she only just made it to the small bus stop at the corner before her legs gave out, the metal bench jolting with the force of her suddenly leaden body. She didn't dare close her eyes to block out the feeling of the buildings closing in on her. She focused on a blade of grass growing between the curb and the road trying to calm the feirce thumping in her chest. She wanted to wretch but she swallowed and counted to thirty before she finally felt her heart rate slowing. She pulled her knees up to her chest and fought the stinging in her eyes.

Here, in a dilapitated bus stop, she felt the strongest urge to use that she had felt since quiting. Her train wasn't due to leave until 9pm and it was only a little after six now. Casey usually worked the early evenings at Marco's Bar. If she really wanted to she could be there in ten minutes and have that sweet high flowing through her in twenty.

She fought her impulse. She'd get up almost leaving the cover of the bus station before catching herself and planting her butt back on the bench. Ten minutes passed before the intense itch faded. She didn't feel better for fighting the urge, a large part of her was screaming how easy it would be, but she was able to ignore it. A bus she'd been waiting for finally arrived and she paid the fare before claiming a seat at the far back of the bus. She was still trembling slightly when she was dropped off at the station and she claimed a bench for the long wait to return to Pelican Town.

She kept a wary eye on the people walking passed her as she waited. The station was relativly safe from most violent crime but pick-pockets and purse snatchers were rampant. She should know considering she'd been one before she was hired on in Joja marts call center hell. She eyed the blond boy who had been edging closer to her for the past half hour. He seemed familiar and suddenly it clicked.

"Devon?", she whispered quietly. His eyes widened in surprised before a spark of familiarity washed over them.

"Yin, long time no see. Liking honest work or do you miss the thug life? My harem of honey's is pretty full but I might be able to make a spot for ya.", he winked. She should be offended and if it had been anyone but Devon she would have decked them. She laughed and ruffled his hair. "Even if I did miss the thug life, as you call it, I wouldn't join your play group. Your still not old enough to handle me, little boy. So how's Sasha and Remmy?"

"Their working the other end of the terminal, Sasha's got the doe eyes scam down pat and Remmy's been feelin' up suits like nobodies buisness. I can't complain." She felt the ghost of movement to her right and knew the little urchin had her wallet. Too bad for him there wasn't much left in it. "You going soft, Yin?", he smirked, holding up her wallet. His smirk lasted three seconds, until she held up the brown burlap pouch with multi-colored glass beads on the strings.

"Fine! Spoil all of my fun. Give it back or Stetson will have my hide." Yin tossed the pouch back, catching her tossed wallet and stuffing it back in her backpack.

"Speaking of Stetson, he told me if I saw you to give you a message." Devon closed his eyes, a frown of concentration maring his young face. Remembering messages was difficult for him so Yin was patient. "Oh! Now I remember. The legacy is being watched by more than the one it was denied to. Yoba's strenght wans and his shadows gather at the moutain's maw. No that was Granny Irva's message. Stetson just said there would be a delivery at you shack when you get back and to consider it a thank you gift for taking care of Martin."

Yin fought back another wave of bad memories. Martin's death had nothing to do with making Stetson's life easier and everything to do with making the sure that bastard never laid his hands on her again. She kept that little tid-bit to herself and rewarded her messenger with another ruffling of his blond mop and a kiss on the cheek. She readjusted her bag as she saw the train pulling in, sureptisously inspecting it to ensure Devon hadn't taken anything else. Though she hadn't planned to be in Zuzu overnight she had brought a change of clothes anyway. It was all in order except...

Devon smirk as he walked away, a pair of plain white panties gripped in his fist like a trophy. Yin groned in exasperation but didn't bother to go after the little twelve-year-old pervert. She had a train to catch and the little rascal's prize wasn't worth missing her ride.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _Saturday 6th of Summer_

Yin groaned as she dragged her tired body out of bed. The bright summer sun blazing through her bedroom window like a vengful demon. She hadn't gotten back to the valley until about one in the morning. Shutting the curtains, she eyed her bed mornfully. She wanted nothing more than to return to peaceful slumber but she had too much to do today. Tossing on her fraying black t-shirt, jeans, and worn trainers, she stepped out into the oppressive summer heat and tended her crops.

It was noon when she began the slow treck to the town square. Her sanitized file clutched in her right arm. The Pelican town clinic looked nothing like the dingy ruin of Southside. The bright red cross on the front door gleamed in the early afternoon sun as the flowers in the pot next to the door dance in the sea breeze. _She didn't belong here_ was the feeling that washed over her, twisting in her gut like a ball of snakes. She was a pretender in paradise, a demon maquerading as an angel and she'd never felt so out of place in her life. She clutched her conterfeit file closer to her chest as she fought to keep her breathing steady.

Stepping into the building only drove the feeling of _not belonging_ deeper into her chest. The perfectly white floors caught the suns rays reflecting them into the air making the pollen and motes of dust in the air glimmer like fairy lights. The tighness in her chest became a lead sink and she debated turning and fleeing. In her head, she knew it was Nova withdawl making her emotions so fragle but it didn't ease the experience.

Doctor Harvey watch from the back office as Yin entered his clinic. He had been finishing up Abigal's chart when the welcome bell chimed. He studied her for a moment. Her right arm cradling a folder close to her chest, she closed her eyes as if she was fighting a deep internal struggle. He stepped out to greet her when he noticed her forward momentum falter and a slight tremor rocked her small frame.

"Yin. I'm glad you stopped in today. I heard you made a trip to Zuzu. Is that the medical records I asked you for?" He was careful to speak softly, her body language telegraphing her unease. She didn't make eye contact as she held out the brown folder to him, her arm trembled as if the folder were an increadible weight to hold. He took the folder from her, his fingertips ghosting across her trembling hand accidently. She pulled back as if she had been burned before wrapping her arms around herself her nails tearing the flesh of her arms again as if it were a ledge keeping her from falling. Her eyes had that same distant terror he'd first noticed at the Egg festival.

" _Yin, breath. In...out...in...out"_ he coaxed her gently. He may not know why she was having panic attacks, but he empatized with her. His first year as a med student had nearly been his last before he got help from the campus counsellor. He watched her frame tremble once more before her resperation slowed. He frowned in concern as he noticed the small drops of blood that fell from her clutched grip. Gently grabbing her hands and prying them away from her body he guided her to the exam room 1.

It was taking everything Yin had not to bolt. The tremors that over took her guarenteed she wouldn't make it far anyway. The whirlwind over-taking her senses calmed somewhat as she focused on the pain in her arms and the gentle voice reminding her to breath. The feeling of being an unwanted intruder was fading slightly but she was still fighting down the prickle of unshead tears as she walked with Harvey to the exam room.

"Yin, what's going on? I want to help you. Whatever this is, it's tearing you apart and you can't keep it bottled up like this. Just talk to me, please?"

She wanted to believe him, she truly did. She could hear the sincerity in his voice and her heart longed to open up to him and unload her burdens but she couldn't. The terror that gripped her soul at the very thought of it caused her thoat to go dry and constrict. She didn't want to make him feel useless though. She could feel the desperation to help rolling off him as his hand gently rubbed her back.

"Zuzu City was not a happy place for me. Going back just stirred up some painful things I'd been trying to forget. I appreciate that you want to help, but I'm just not ready. I just..." She stopped, feeling that constriction in her chest and throat sqeeze painfully. She forced herself to look into those emerald depths, trying to convey without words all the conflict she was going through.

He seemed to understand, as he broke eye contact and collected the supplies to clean up her self inflicted wounds. The room was silent, save for her quite hiss as the antiseptic set her nerves ablaze in renewed pain, and the clink of metal tools as he stitched one particularly deep scratch closed. Putting the tray of tools aside, he held out his hand to her, helping her down off the exam table.

"How much do I owe you for this?" Yin asked, taking a rough mental estimate. Simple wound care shouldn't run more than 500 gold.

"I'm not charging you for this Yin. I know you're not comfortable with divulging personal information and I should have realized that this wasn't easy for you. I didn't mean to sound so threatening in my letter." He reached out to her, gently pushing a strand of her long raven hair away from her eyes. He didn't know why he wanted to help this stranger so much but he couldn't help feeling as if she was familiar to him some how.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that. I know you think I'm some kind of emotional train-wreck..." "No Yin, I don't. I think you're alone in a new place and not having people you can trust to support and help you is a scary thing to face. You don't have to face it alone though. Robin is there for you, and so am I if you'll let me. Just think about it, okay." She smiled and he only just noticed his hand had stalled in it's earlier motion to gently cup her cheek. He pulled his hand away, embarassed, but he couldn't quite bring himself to regret the close contact.

 _Sunday 7_ _th_ _of Summer_

Yin finished her watering quickly, putting the watering can, scythe and wood axe in a chest she'd built in spring. Today was supposed to be a lucky day for her. She hadn't put much much stock in luck and fortune telling before comming to the valley but she noticed rather quickly it's effect after the mines reopened. Afterwards, it was easy to see it's more subtle effects on her activities and she'd learned quickly to take advatage of days like this.

It was a mining day and if her luck held out then she'd find enough copper to upgrade her axe. Checking her pack to ensure she had everything she needed she made her way to the mountains.

Even on lucky days, mining was an arduous and parlous task. Between the monsters that wanted nothing more than to turn her into a tasty snack, and the rocks blocking her way, it was slow going. She had made it to level 25 in her last trek and she hoped to work her way down to at least 30 or 35 today. In spite of the risks she faced down here, she was calm. The adrenaline coursing through her veins made sense, the fear was justified, and she could do something about it. The monsters of the mine were simple creatures who desired nothing more than to kill her, she needn't show restraint or mercy as she would recieve none in return.

With praticed ease, she sliced her way though the hordes of slimes, bats, duggies and other assorted beasts. She was far from a skilled warrior yet but she learned quickly how to ignore the cuts and nicks that were accululating on her body. She'd been swarmed twice now as she finished clearing out level 31 and her pack was heavy with ore, rocks, amnethyst and topaz. She stopped long enough to eat some salmonberries and regain some of her health. It healed her back up to 3/4 full but if she wanted to make it to thirty-five she needed full health. She ate the alge she'd picked up from some of the slimes she'd slain. It tasted awful but she felt more of her health returning to her. She still wasn't at full health but she decided to risk it.

She'd been swarmed on every floor and she could feel her energy failing her. She was soo close she just needed to find the mine shaft and she'd be there. Her body was a mess of cuts and bruises and thrumming with spikes of pure agony with every movment she made. Her shoulder's straining to hold the heavy pack and her sword arm ached with every swing. She ignore the copper vein peaking out from stone around her knowing she didn't have much energy left. She plucked a cherry bomb from her pack and hoped it would reveal the mineshaft down.

She had cleared the blast radius just in time, and finally as the dust cleared she saw the mineshaft she'd been searching for. She staggered forward but didn't notice in time the swarm of bats decending on her. Pain ripped through her as their fangs punctured her already damaged skin. Her vision went red and she lost her footing. She swung her sword blindly but hit nothing but stone with a harsh clang and she felt darkness over take her. _No! I'm soo close. I just have to crawl a few more feet and I can make it._

The cynical part of her mind whispered, _You don't have to make it to the mineshaft. You don't have the engery and besides if you die down here now Joja will never be able to get the farm. Aren't you tired of reliving the same dark memories night after night. You can just lie here and all of it will fade away. It would be so easy._ Tears welled in her eyes as the monsters continued to tear at her flesh. As much as she wanted to deny that voice, to continue to fight her way to that mineshaft so tatalizingly close to her, she couldn't deny the dark temptation it spoke. She was just sooo tired. Darkness consumed her consiousnes and her harsh labored breathing ceased.

 _Sunday 7_ _th_ _of Summer_

Yin shot out of bed with a start, tears still flowing down her cheeks. She inspected her body but there were no tears or cuts. She turned on the TV to hear warwick predicting today would be extremely lucky. The weather was still predicting a storm comming in for tomorrow. That's when she noticed the day. It was still Sunday? She wondered if it had been just a really vivid dream but she was almost positive it wasn't.

She could still feel the echos of pain rippling through her muscles, almost taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth. She stepped outside and noticed her garden just as it had been in her memory. Something was wrong, something was really really _wrong!_ She drew deep, slow breaths, desparetly tapping down the panic that was welling in her chest. She felt a powerful insinct pulling her west to the as yet uncleared section of her farm past the ruined green house.

She followed that pull, cutting through the dense underbrush. Her foot tangled in the root of tree, twisting it, and she bit her tounge fighting back the screem of pain clawing at her thoat and the nausea induced by the cracking sound she heard. Wrestling the mangled limb free, she limped forward, barley taking noticed of the blood flowing down her foot or the white bone portruding from where her ankle joint should be.

The pull she felt was too powerful to ignore and soon she came to a clearing in the foliage. Limping forward toward the black stone tombstone, she noticed the strangeness of this place. The trees swayed but there was no wind, the sounds of the bugs, birds, and other woodland creatures were suspiciously absent. The warm summer air seemed to grow cold and her breath floated infront of her like fog. Slowly, she reached her hand out, touching the fridged black stone. Energy riplled up her arm and she felt her conciousness fading again, pulling her into a dream or a nightmare.

 _There was no sky and no earth. Heavy grey mist clouded her vision and unintelligible whispers echoed around her. A shadow parted the mist before becoming a young man with sandy blond hair cropped short. In contrast, his face sported a full beard and mustashe trimmed immaculately and slightly darker. His eyes sparkled with wisdom, deep pools of ocean blue that seemed so familiar._

"Grandfather?" she whispered, too scared to speak any louder for fear of breaking what ever spell had come over her. She missed him so much. He was the only family she had ever known that seemed to truely care for her without reservation or ulterior motive. Her mother and her may have grown closer after his death but she had always felt an undercurrent of resentment from her. She knew now why her mother had resented her. It was because of her that her mother couldn't leave her father's abusive hold. But her grandfather had never blamed her for any of the family drama.

 _"Yin, my poor grandchild. You were forced to bare burdens that someone twice your age would struggle with. I love you with all my heart and wish I could be there to ease your pain, but my time in your world has long since passed. I'm afraid I have brought you here because I must add to your burden, much as it pains me to do so. You are no doubt confused as to why you are reliving this day. I'm sorry to say but my farm, and the valley beyond are cursed lands, though very few can percieve it. You died in the mines but death did not take you. That is part of the curse that my farm and Stardew Valley itself are under, but you are by no means immortal. The farther away from the farm and this shrine you are, the greater the risk you're at for true death. In the valley, however, you cannot die. But even so, you must not be careless. Each time the shrine uses it's power to save you, it binds you more tightly to the valley curse. And the most maddening part of all, is only you will see the curse's true nature. Time does not move in the same way it does outside. I can not hold you in the inbetween for much longer. Find my journals and you will come to understand the nature of the magic that ensnares the valley. It is my hope that you might find the strength to break it."_

Yin woke with a start, the hard stone beneath her cold against her skin. She tried to get up but screamed in agony when she tried to put weight on her broken ankle. Standing on her good leg she studied the now dormant shrine before her. Black obsidian with an inlay of granite in the shape of a 12 pointed star. In the center was inscribed a message on a gold plate reading " _While my body travels beyond the boundaries of this quiet valley, my heart will always lie here._ "

Taking a closer look at the edges of the plaque, she noticed the bottom right corner was smudged ever so slightly while the rest shined in the late morning sun as if it were just installed. Hesitantly, she let her right hand ghost across the scuffed edge feeling a small bump in the otherwise smooth surface. She pressed her finger into it and felt a click resonate through the metal and the panel opened, reavealing a leather bound book inside. The cover bore the same twelve pointed star inlayed in gold on the books cover. It was plain leather on the back and bore no title or lettering of any kind. She decided to put it back in the shrine for now. She would come back for it but with her ankle broken she didn't want to risk damaging her only clue on what's going on with this place.

Breaking a branch off the now still trees, she crafted a makeshift crutch and splint, biting her lip against the pain as she reset the bone. The open wound still needed to be disinfected but her kit back at the farm was empty. She also remembered that she hadn't watered her crops this time around. The sprinklers did some of the work for her but she didn't have enough to cover her entire garden.

In spite of her pain, she watered the rest of her garden. She broke her own rule out of shear anguish from the pain and ate a radish from her garden. She felt the pain lessen and some of her energy return. Deciding that mining was definately not in the cards today she ate the rest of her salmonberries. Full restored she inspected her ankle and noticed it had closed with no pain but a stranging itching sensation tigled below the now smooth skin. The only evidence of her injury left behind was the blood staining her socks and trainers. She idily wondered if that was related to the curse as well. She decided to fish today and put her mind off of her grandfather's visit. It would all be meaningless if Joja got the farm anyway.

 _Thursday 11th of Summer_

A cool gentle breeze blew in from the near by ocean, the salt and moisture making the otherwise oppressive heat somewhat more tolerable. If there was anything Yin missed the most about Zuzu right now it was central air. She despised Joja mart with a passion but ended up there a few days after her visit from grandpa.

While her foot did close up, it hadn't been cleaned out properly beforehand, and the dirt that had gotten in the wound when she collapsed remained. The place where the bone had been poking out turned an angry red and swelled up rather impressively. Not wanting to spend money on anything other than her debt and essentials, she cut the wound open with her daggar and rinsed as much of the offending foreign material and puss out as she could. She also didn't want to explain the injury to Harvey and have him fear for her sanity.

She wrapped her ankle with pieces of cloth she cut from a t-shirt she'd ruined during spring and slowly made her way to the grey block alter of corperate greed at the far side of town. In spite of the blessing of central air, cooling her overheated, sweat-soaked body, she didn't linger for long. She grabbed the rubbing alcohol and some antibacterial ointment trying to be discreet as she headed to the counter.

She watched Shane for a moment as he cut open a box and shoved product on the shelf with the practiced ease of someone who had already been here way too long. Joja call centers were a very special level of hell but they could never compare to the drugery of store work. She'd thankfully had never been forced to endure that particular brand of torture but she'd heard enough stories to make her shudder. Her respect for the grumpy, unkempt mess that was Shane went up a few notches.

She carefully made her way up to the counter, making sure that sleazeball Morris was occupied with his magazine. She didn't engage the cashier in conversation and the dead eyed worker offered none. She had seen women like this in her call center office and knew she was a corparate droid, also known as the broken.

The broken were evidence of some of Joja mart worst practices and tactics. Older folks, women in particular, who had worked for the company for decades back when they offered decent retirement and pensions forced back into the labor market to the only place that would hire them. After all the lawsuits and OSHA fines the company had been forced to settle, especially in the last 10 years. They began cutting off pensions and demanding paperwork and verification. It was a red tape shake down ensuring those too old to find and submit all the fiddly documents or have help in doing so, would be without income unless they went back to work. Her cashier was Isa, a woman about eighty and looked to be five-hundred.

She had just grabbed her bag when she noticed Morris's unnerving purple eyes gazing in her direction, standing up from his desk. She cursed her ankle and fought through the pain as she bolted for the door, her heart hammering in her chest like war drums. She didn't know Morris personally, but she read enough about him in the paper and had seen the way he talks to others, to know she didn't want anything to do with him. It sickened her the way he hit on Jodi, who he knows is married with her husband serving. The uncomfortably intense gaze he directs at Abigal when she's in his sight set her hair on end. Yin suppressed the shudder of revulsion that threatened to weaken her grip on her bag. She didn't have to know him to know he was probably the posterboy for work place harassment.

In spite of her self-surgery and near run-in with Morris, her week hadn't been so bad. She hesitated in going back to the mines but after some serious though and additional precautions, she had made it to level 30. Today was set to be a slower paced day until she noticed Robin creeping in from the northern pass as she finished her morning chores. She looked at the calandar and realized the only reason she would be here today of all days.

"Hey Robin!" Yin shouted, startling the woman. Robin gave up all pretense of stealth and walked over to the porch, eyeing the garden and giving a whistle of appreciation. "You've been busy I see. The flowers look spectacular, and are those bee hives?"

" Well yeah," Yin smiled at her shocked praise, "it's not like I just sit on my porch and twiddle my thumbs all day. In spite of what you might think, I do work from time to time." Robin gaped for a moment before hitting her in the arm, "That's not what I meant and you know it! Don't toy with me woman. Besides, that's the problem. This is a bit of overkill, don'cha think? You don't have a farm hand or indentured slaves, I mean, children to help you out with all this. It's no wonder you're not seen in town that much."

"Well I suppose so." Yin frowned, ringing her hands in her warn shirt. "You remember last time I went to town when there was a big crowd of people, right? I'm not avoiding the village entirely, I just don't go there until later in the day when it's a little less crowded, that's all."

"I suppose that's the best I can ask. So any of the guys catch your fancy? My son is single and I think you and him would look so cute together!" Yin could almost hear the gears turning in Robin's head as she planned and plotted to get the shy boy out of her basement.

"Slow down there, sister. I'm nowhere close to wanting to settle down and I hardly know your son so reign in the scheming for grandbabies."

"What! I'd never, _at least not so soon_. I just think you'd get along with how shy you both are, but that's not why I'm here. I have a gift for you." Yin took the plain looking box, eyeing Robin with a bit of suspision before gently tugging on the green ribbon. Opening the box she noticed only some strings at first, nestled in white tissue paper. Tugging on the string, she pulled out a black bikini top. Moving the paper aside she found the matching bottom and groaned, knowing exactly where this was going.

"This is a wonderful gift, truly, but I get the feeling that there's more strings on this than the ones I spotted. While I've gotten better at the whole not freaking out around people thing, I don't know if I can handle the luau yet. I've worn band-aids that cover more than this bikini and that probably won't help things!"

"You'll be fine, you can stick around Demetrius and I this time, since I don't have to man a booth for this event. Do you have any good crops you want to add for the potluck. This tomato over here looks perfect for it." It didn't escape Yin's noticed that Robin ignored her comment on the bikini. "Robin please. It was really embarassing for me last time and I don't want to push my luck."

"You'll be okay, I promise. If I see you're not doing so good I'll help you back to your farm, no questions asked, okay? Pretty Please." She begged, her bottom lip pouting out and quivering slightly. It was an act, and not a very good one but Yin caved. Devon was right, she was going soft, apparently.

"Fine, I'll go, I'll go.", Yin said, raising her arms in surrender. "Let me go put this on and get my sunscreen."

"Don't bother with sunscreen, I got enough to protect the whole beach from a solar flare. Sebastion burns so easily that I make sure to buy in bulk whenever there's a sale." Yin stepped back out in the black bikini top and shorts, a towel drapped over her shoulder. She felt naked in this thing but did her best to calm her nerves as she followed Robin towards the beach, plucking the tomato from the vine as she passed by.

 _The luau_

Yin was doing okay this time, surprisingly enough. She didn't walk up and greet people but she did great a few people who stopped to talk to her. She was comfortable on her towel underneath the shade of the palm trees. The massive cauldron Marnie was stirring was begining to smell pretty good, or she was suffering from heat-stroke. She didn't think she was over heated but the random assortment of ingredients thrown into the pot over the last few hours didn't have great odds of being palatable.

Yin had chosen to be more passive in this event and just studied the people around her. Robin was dancing near the speakers with Demetrius. Yin winced when she saw Demetrius step on Robin's foot for the fourth time. She watched Emily dancing alone, a gentle open smile on her face. Clint watched from a distance, his eyes locked on her and looking torn between hiding his flushing cheeks and getting closer to her. He litterally tried to move in two directions at once and ended up face first in the damp sand.

Harvey was standing close to Maru, speaking animatedly, but he was too far from Yin's spot to over hear the conversation. She felt a small pang of loss in her chest but chose not to dwell on it for too long. Shane was serving himself a third helping of the pepper chutney. She starred a little too long as he licked the coconut shell of the last drops. Her traitorous mind imagining what else that tongue would be good for before she tore her gaze away and pressed her head into her hands.

Shane watched the farmer in interest as he finished his third bowl of hot pepper chutney. He'd noticed her eye on him and smirked before licking the coconut bowl clean in a way that was anything but innocent. Her eyes wided with lust before she caught herself and turned away from his display. He admired the blush that crossed her skin before turning back toward the ocean view.

She was looking very tempting in that black bikini and he had to admit that he did feel a strange sort of energy between them She didn't put up with his bad attitude and even shoved it right back at him when he was being an especially vendictive prick. There was very little vitrol in his antagonism toward the farmer these days. He said the same awful things sometimes, but it felt more out of habit than anything. Her responses weren't any less witty than when they'd first met but the feelings he got from them were different. It felt more like flirting, despite the insults.

After Yin fought off the blush coloring her cheeks she continued to observe the party-goers. Sam looked a litte sad as he spoke with his mother with Vincent swimming in the shallows close by. Yin could tell they both were missing someone that should have been there with them. She respected the military and Ken was lucky to have people like his wife and children who missed him. She'd met too many veterans who had served the Republic only to be cast aside and left homeless. It was a travasty that these men were forgotten after all they'd sacrificed but it was all too easy for most people to forget the cost of freedom. Some scars didn't heal so easily.

The rest of luau was pleasant and relaxing. The potluck soup wasn't too bad, all things considered. It was a mediocre soup but considering the random assortment of ingredients that went into it, it could have been much worse. She went home that night uncomfortably full but content. Perhaps she'd have to get Robin a nice thank you gift.

 _Monday, !5_ _th_ _of Summer_

Harvey was not having the best season. Summer was always a more lean time for his business, although he was thankful that people were staying healthy. The end of spring had more than made up for the slowdown between George's nasty case of Shingles, Abigal's sword accident, and Robin's entire family needing treatment for mild radiation exposure. He had lectured Maru, at great length, about the dangers of radiation and not using clinic medical supplies for personal projects. She hadn't technically stolen supplies but she did time her request when she knew he was distracted.

Maru ws finally well enough to return to work and he was thankful to have assistance so he could focus on the backlog of charts that had piled up on his desk. After finishing the charting for his regular clients he decided to look over Yin's chart. Everything looked to be in order, at first. Quite a few injuries as a child, noted during routine physicals, which set off a few alarm bells in his head but after the age of 14 her record went rather sparse. There were a few less than stellar check-ups but they lack the professionalism of the major city practices.

He noted the Nova overdose in her chart. She had been 19 years old at the time and the E.R. doctor on call had noted abnormal bruising on her body. The rest of the report was much less specific regarding follow up and something felt off. Her last physical was done at Southside Free clinic almost 3 years ago. Something wasn't adding up but he couldn't put his finger on it. He looked at the name of the doctor who did her last physical and it all clicked.

He remembered Doctor Delta all too well. He'd once been a respected general practioner at Zuzu medical until investigations caught him perscribing opioids and narcotics to patients known for having addictions. His career was ruined but his license was never revoked. Harvey suspected he had pulled favors from his more affluent patients to keep himself in practice.

Doctor Delta may have questionable ethics in regard to pharmaceuticals, but he didn't compromise on his charts when he saw information as medically neccessary. This facted ease Harvey's concern somewhat, but he knew this chart was most probably incomplete at best. He didn't know what Yin was so desparatly trying to hide. She seemed like such a smart, resilliant young woman inspite of her recent bouts of anxiety. He couldn't explain why but it hurt that she was willing to go to such lengths to hid herself from him but he tried to remain objective.

Flipping back through the chart he was able to gleam some details although they weren't spelled out. She was more than likely abused as a child judging by the inconsistancies between her injuries and the story that went with them. Her parents weren't in the picture after she turned 14, as noted by their lack of mention in a stabbing injury she'd recieved that year. She was supposed to have been turned over to CPS but she had escaped the E.R. directly after getting her stitches.

From that, he realized that she was probably living on the street or allied with one of the gangs that made Zuzu such a violent place to live. He decided to request a full physical for his records though it was anyone's guess whether she'd comply or not. He couldn't force her this time but he had a feeling if he waived the office fee she might be more agreeable. He'd overheard Robin mention in passing that Yin was in some sort of massive debt.

Yin was unaware of Harvey's detective work on her chart as she checked her mail for the day. She had been in a good mood but all that came crashing down when she read the innocent looking statement from Joja Corp billing and holdings. She had just been expecting a statement reflecting her current standing but was rather unpleasantly surprised by the accompaning letter that came with her bill.

 _Dear Valued Joja credit member,_

 _In line with our lending policy (paragraph 5 section E-7 Account Value and Interest Adjustment) we have noticed the drop in principal on your account. This drop moves you out of the power credit ranking and down into the silver credit ranking. Due to the cost of maintaining smaller investments we regret to inform you that your interest rate will be going up from 10% to 15%. If you wish to return to power credit status we have extended your line of credit to 25000 gold in addition to your current balance. We know starting out on new ventures needs capital and are more than happy to get you started on the road to prosperity. Check out our new line of card designs and get spending for your dreams today._

Yin could feel the rage swelling within her. She was being PUNISHED for paying off her debt! _How? Just **HOW** was this even a thing? _Her eye twitched as she glared at the offending letter. Slamming it down on her cluttered desk she stormed outside. She cleared the rest of her farm that day, her rage powering her as she decimated the trees, rocks and logs that were left. That night she crawled to her porch nearly dead on her feet but her rage was finally spent. Inspite of her exhaustion, she took special joy in obliterating the monsters foolish enough to cross her path as she returned to her house. She collapsed just inside her door, not even able to summon the power required to make the few steps needed to get to her bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**I unfortunately will probably not be as quick uploading this as I had been since I had to dump 26 pages of text after I got stuck and redirect a plot point. If this story gets an sort of following over five readers I might release the alternative text since I just couldn't outright delete it. If you like this story or absolutely despise it with every fiber of your being, leave a comment and let me know. Also beware of slight sexy times in this chapter but this story went into M rated territory long before this.**

Chapter 4

 _Tuesday 16th of Summer_

Yin stared at the ceiling from the floor of her small living room. She could hear the violent storm spattering against her window pane and the ceasless rolling rumble of thunder punctuated by louder cracks. She wouldn't have to water her plants today but the reduction of work gave her no comfort. She tried to move and felt her back ripple and spasm in protest. She waited for the pain to subside before trying again, this time more slowly.

She made it to her bed and flopped down on the covers. In her head, she knew she should be going out to fish or forage or something productive but she couldn't summon the will. What did it matter if they were just gonna keep moving the bar on her? As awful as that news made her feel, there was something else bothering her as well. The part about new ventures wouldn't have fit her spending style in Zuzu and it just seemed unlikely that the algorythm would have put that in there. It felt too _personal._ She mulled over the inconsistency before the conclusion slowly dawned on her. Her father was medding in this, she was sure.

It sounded like a paranoid delusion, even within the confines of her mind but the more she considered it the more it made sense. He wasn't a high ranking executive, yet, but he did travel in those circles. He did have access to those kind of records as an auditor and finance overseer. She also had found it suspicious that he made no attempt to capture her after she got that stupid card. He didn't need to track her as long as he was tracking the card's use. It wasn't the first time she considered that the offer she recieved to work in the call center was directed by her father, as well. It was another means of keeping her within reach and all he had to do was wait for her to lead him to what he wanted. She had been a fool all this time and now he was using his influence with the higher-ups to put the screws to her. It seemed hopeless, especially in light of the fact that her will would only protect the farm if she died.

Despair was sinking into her chest like an anvil in water. She fought the burning and prickling sensation in her eyes as she stood up and slowly walked to her closet. Buried underneath some old shirts, and other junk, was a cherry wood box wrapped in burlap which she removed with trembling hands. She opened it for the first time after returning from her trip to Zuzu. It was Stetson's gift to her and she didn't need to open it then to know what it was.

If she had been smart, she would have just chucked it in the garbage unopened. But the voice that she had fought in her head back at the bus station had convinced her not to. She told herself then that she would wait until her next trip to Zuzu and sell it. She had amused herself with the look on Lewis's face if she tried chucking it into her sale bin. Would he even have any idea what it was?

She opened the box, gasping at the six vials and reusable syringe within. The liquid in the vials was a deep royal blue with silver flecks swirling within, capturing the light and sparkling as they moved. This was certainly not the cheap baby blue street variety she was familar with. This was pure, uncut Nova. Her first experience with anything close to pure Nova had landed her in the intensive care ward but, despite the danger, she picked up the syringe and drew up a small amout of the blue liquid. It was an eighth of the amount she'd normally take but she'd learned not underestimate the strength of Nova in it's pure form.

Before her better angels could talk her out of it, she tied a strip of old shirt around her arm. She tapped the air out of the syringe before bracing herself and injecting it into the now bulging vein of her arm. Pulling the empty needle out, she wrapped it in paper before putting it back in the case, resolving to clean it later. She had just enough time to stuff the box back underneath the junk in her closet, make her touniquet into a bandage, and get back to bed before the first ripples of pleasure tingled along every nerve of her body.

She no longer felt the damp chill of the rain outside, her body temperature rising as a light sheen of sweat marred her brow. Pleasure contiued to roll through her body in delicious waves and she struggled to remove her now painfully confining clothing. Her hands moved up and down her own body, following the rippling pleasure as her muscles rythmically spasmed.

She let her hand drift lower down her abdomen before dipping into the moisture gathering between her legs. She stroked herself slowly, lazily, letting the pleasure build before coasting back down. With each session of stroking she let her self climb just a bit higher before she stopped, waiting for the building sensation to ease back down. Soon enough, her stroking wasn't enough and her fingers slid inside herself, probing and stretching before finding that bundle of nerves inside that would drive her into ecstasy.

Sweat was beading up on her abdomen as she stroked and strained, her long raven hair plastered to her sweat-soaked skin. She had no desire or control to slow down and she lifted her hips off the bed trying to get her fingers to go deeper inside. Faster and faster she pumped, feeling the pleasure building higher until her legs shook and gave out from under her. A loud moan falling from her lips temporarily drowned out the sound of the pounding rain on her window. She shuddered through the after shocks of her climax, feeling content for the first time in a long time.

As the euphoria ebbed away, her focus and will returned with overwhelming force. She had so much she needed to do today and first order of business was a shower. She didn't technically own a shower, but as she looked outside at the pouring down rain, she realized nature had provided one for her for atleast today. And the oracle on tv had said today was unlucky, what a crock.

She grabbed a bar of soap and hung her towel next to the door. She stepped outside with nothing but a manic smile gracing her face.

Harvey frowned as he listened to the rain on his window. He was still trying to figure out how to get Yin to agree to a physical. He considered writing her a letter, since he was usually more ellequent and persuasive in writing but he decided against it. The tone in his last letter to her was less than friendly and he didn't want her to dread every letter he sent her. He decided to see her in person, despite the pouring rain. She seemed to respond better to personal interaction as long as it was one-on-one as evident with her friendship with Robin.

He'd walked passed the bus stop and just rounded the last fence post when he saw Yin. She wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing other than a strip of cloth around her arm and he could hear her singing. He debated on leaving and coming back later but something, other than the obvious, wasn't right with her. Even from here, she looked more pale than was normal for her. This rain was frigid and she was going to get hypothermia if she stayed out here like that for too long. The paleness of her skin was an early symptom of it.

"Yin! What are you doing out here? You're going to catch a death of cold if you don't warm up soon." She looked up at him and smiled before she finished lathering her ample chest with her soap and spreading her arms wide to let the cold rain rinse her. Her nipples stood out prominantly as evidence of the cold but he turned his attention back to her eyes. Her eyes were dialated much more than they should be given the diffuse lighting. She looked almost manic as a particularly close strike of lightening made him jump. That was another danger he was worried about.

"Come inside with me, Yin. You need to get warmed up and I don't think you'd like it very much if you got struck by lightening.", he said gently leading her by the arm. "I guess that would be rather _shocking_ , wouldn't it.", she giggled but thankfully didn't resist as he guided her back to her farm house.

She grabbed a towel hanging near the door and proceeded to her bed room to change. Harvey claimed the chair next to the desk to wait for her. He sighed and put his head in his hands. He was greatly concerned for Yin. None of this fit into what he knew about her. She had been self consious about the black bikini she wore to the luau, so being outside naked seemed way out of character for her.

Yin stepped out of her room in a short sleeved t-shirt and skinny jeans. She was careful to tie a fresh strip of cloth to her arm not wanting to reveal the puncture wound and blossoming bruise and face uncomfortable questions. She felt refreshed from her shower but she hadn't expected company. She knew she should be embarassed about being seen but she was much more comfortable in her skin on Nova. His sudden arrival was unexpected but not wholly unwanted. She studied him from the doorway of her bed room. He wasn't without his charms and the gentle concern she felt from him was touching. She needed to assure him that she was okay, better than okay.

"I wasn't expecting company today. I'm sorry you had to see that but I havent been able to have a decent shower in months. I do have a tub I fill from the pump out back for bathing but I miss just taking a good shower sometimes. Today was just too perfect to miss." She shot a winning smile his way and the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease. "So what brings you out in this kind of weather?", she inquired, trying to break the akward silence that had fallen between them.

"Well I was reviewing your chart the other day and noticed it's been quite a while since your last check up. I have some concerns about your health and I'm willing to forego the office charge. I'm worried about you Yin."

"I know you've been concerned about me but I'm doing better. Haven't had a panic attack since that day in your office. I think I just needed time to adjust to being in a new place like you said." She shrugged her shoulders and looked away. She didn't like lying to him but it was easier than confessing the truth. Even through the haze of her high she was dissapointed in herself but it wasn't something she wanted to deal with at the moment.

"Yin, please. I may not know you super well but even I can tell something is not ok with you. Look, will you agree to a physical? I promise I won't force you to answer anything you don't feel comfortable with sharing but I do want to help." He tried to look her directly in the eye, silently pleading with her. She broke eye contact and sighed seemingly resigned. "I guess you won't be persuaded that I'm ok unless I agree. I'm holding you to your promise not to pry, though. I'll contact the office and make an appointment for next week."

"I meant right now, Yin. I have my bag with me and figured it would be easier on you at home than going into town."

"Now?" Yin squeaked, backing away from him. "I need some time to prepare myself for it."

"There's nothing to prepare for. You're freshly showered and it's not like a test you have to study for. Just sit down in this chair and we'll start simple, okay?"

She wanted to say no, but she couldn't come up with a plausible excuse. She sat down on her office chair and watched with trepidation as he dug though his medical bag and placed the tools he wanted on the desk. Without warning, he grabbed her left wrist and she jump. He apologized but didn't let go and she tried to calm her racing heart as he took her pulse. He made a notation on the clipboard he brought with him and set it back on the desk. He made a show of moving more slowly this time before putting his hand on the side of her face and directing her gaze to his own. He was reaching for something on the table but she didn't get a chance to look as her skin tingled at the contact of his cool palm. She squinted at the harsh bright light that entered her eyes.

"Your pulse is good although a little fast, but your pupils are sluggish in response to light which is unusual in someone your age. You also feel much warmer than you should be. Let me take your temperature." She didn't respond since it sounded more like an order than a request. He brushed her hair to the side and stuck the device in her ear. It beeped after a few moments and he wrote down the result on the clipboard.

"38 degrees celsuis, that's a bit higher than I'd like to see. I think you are comming down with something, maybe a virus." He put both hands on her cheeks before sliding downward pressing just underneath her jaw. She shiverd at the physical contact and felt a blush creeping on to her face. His hands were blissfully cool and strangly supple. This exam was going to kill her if he kept touching her like that.

"Okay Yin. I'm going to listen to your heart and lungs now. I can hear what's going on better with the stethescope directly on the skin but if that's too uncomfortable, I'll do my best to hear over your shirt. Which one would be the most comfortable for you?" She knew what she should have answered, but before her mind could put on the emergency brake she told him under was fine. Was she trying to die from embarassment? A playful voice in her head reminded her that having more of his touch on her body was exactly what she wanted. The more cynical part of her mind reminded her that this was just a check-up, not a feel up, and she was only going to be frustrated by the end of all this.

She fought her blush as his hand traveled up her back. His direction to breath in and out kept her distracted enough to avoid being more embarassed. She fought the gasp that threatened to escape her suddely dry lips as he reached up her shirt and rested his stethescope against her chest just above her left breast. He didn't speak, focusing intently on her heart beat. She hoped he didn't notice how hard her nipples had gotten. He removed his hand and went back to his clipboard to make notes. She could see the light pink flush across his cheeks and was glad she wasn't the only one suffering. She'd been so focused on calming her own reactions that she didn't see him pick up the blood pressure cuff. She felt him grab her left arm and she pulled it back in fear. She offered her right arm instead and he gave her a suspisious gaze but said nothing as he changed his position to use the offered arm.

"Why didn't you want me to use your left arm, Yin? Can I look underneath the bandage?"

"It's not a bandage, just a fashion accessory. It's the new style in Zuzu and I thought it looked good." She could tell he wasn't buying it but seemed to let it drop as he took her blood pressure. "138/99, that's not the worst I've seen but it's too high for comfort." He seemed to be considering something and she squirmed in her seat. He looked back up and she could see the gears turning in his head.

"Yin, I did my residency at Zuzu city medical. I've seen these symptoms before. I know your on Nova right now. When did you start using again?"

She hid her head in her hands trying to fight off the tears. She didn't want him to know! "I don't want to talk about it. Please, just let this go. You promised you wouldn't push me to answer anything that was too painful."

"I suppose you're right. I just wish you'd come to me if you were struggling." Yin sniffled, and felt his arms wrap around her. She just wished she could start this day _all over again._ That's when she remembered the seventh of summer. She smiled into Harvey's jacket and her tears ceased. She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands feeling the corners of his mustash tickle the edge of her thumb. If this day was a wash that would be forgotton then she'd see how far she could go before resetting. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his but after a moment of surprise he pushed her back.

 _"_ I care about you Yin, but I would never take advantage of someone under the influence." "I understand.", she said and a manic smile crept back onto her face. She pulled away from him and dashed off to her room. Seachering her sock drawer she found grandpa's special gift and loaded a bullet into the chamber. She heard the door open behind her as she clicked the rest of the clip into place. She turn toward him a watery smile marring her face and she put the gun to her temple. His rejection, how ever noble, had hurt. It did make this part easier, though.

"YIN! Don't, please? Put the gun down and we can talk about this okay." She watched impassionately as he pleaded with her. She felt a hollow feeling engulf her and her tears stopped. He didn't need to remember this day. He didn't need to know how big of a fuck up she was. This as much for him as it was for her. She spotted him trying to edge closer to her as if he was being stealthy.

"It will be okay Harvey. It's better this way." She pulled the trigger just as he tried to dive towards her. . " **YIN!** _ **Noooooo!"**_ , was the last thing she heard before darkness claimed her and she woke up on the floor of her living room again.

 _Tuesday 16_ _th_ _of Summer II_

Harvey woke with a start, his cheeks damp from tears and a terrible sadness and horror filling his chest. He struggled to remember his dream but the harder he tried the more blanks he drew. Whatever his dream had been, it had left him shaking and pale. He tried to focus on making breakfast but he felt sick as he spread the strawberry jam on his toast and dashed to the bathroom. He skipped breakfast that morning and felt too drained later on in the day to go out. He decided to write a letter to Yin and hoped she'd comply with his request. If he'd felt better he might have gone in person, but he just didn't have the energy and didn't want to risk making himself more ill by being in the cold rain.

Yin got up, ignoring the pain in her back and legs as she stood. She went to her desk and looked over the letter and statement that had started this whole mess. She decided the best way around their fuckery would be to pay the whole thing off in a big lump sum. For now, she'd save and just pay the interest until she had saved the entire amount.

She forced herself not to think about what had originally happened today for now. Instead she went outside and picked her blueberry bushes and tomatos then packed her fishing gear. She used a totem to get to the beach and a totem to get home. Fishing at the far peir meant she didn't have to interact with anyone and it gave her time to be with her thoughts while still being productive.

She couldn't just kill herself everytime things didn't go her way. Her grandfather had warned her that too many deaths were not a good thing but he didn't give her specifics. She would have to get that book out when it wasn't raining. Now that the area was clear of the debris it shouldn't be a problem.

Her feelings about Harvey were a jumbled mess. She was attracted to him as much as she had been trying to deny it to herself. She knew she was still dealing with too much baggage to consider dating right now, but her hormones haven't gotten the memo, apparently.

Her biggest mistake, however, had been going back to Nova like she had. Her system had been cleansed of it for the past two seasons and, as result, she had no resistance to the emotional rollercoaster it could put her on. Hard-lining it like she had back in Zuzu when she'd been in detox for so long was just asking for a bumpy ride. If she intended to use again she couldn't just do it on a whim or to medicate her emotions. If she had to use at all she had to use it for the right reason. She originally used it only to ensure high productivity at her work.

She wanted to quit, but as things stood now, she knew she wouldn't be able to. She couldn't afford to rest until she got out from under Joja's thumb. She planned out the rest of her week as she reeled in a rather nice sized tuna. Harvey wouldn't remember what happened on the first iteration of today but he would still be trying to get that physical. She had her suspicions that he was on to her file forgery and was digging for more information from her.

If she was honest, then she kinda resented how nosy he was getting. She'd made it more than clear that she wanted to leave the past behind her. She wondered why he seemed so obsessed when they'd only interacted a handful of times. Perhaps he felt a similar attraction as she did to him. It would explain his desire to dig into her life. Of course, he was also the sort that always wanted to help. As much as she wanted to believe there might be some attraction influencing his behavour, she couldn't discount the possibility that he just saw a damsel in distress.

There was little point in analysing it, much less pursuing it. Regardless of his reasons, he wouldn't be dissuaded from his quest easily. It was 8pm when she packed up her rod, reloaded her crabpots with bait, and dug through her bag to warp home. She wasn't harrassed by the monsters too much on the way to the front door. She did notice, however, that the few she did have to dispatch were stronger and more varieties seemed to be lingering in the shadows. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that each time she died, the monsters somehow grew stronger.

 _Saturday 20_ _th_ _of Summer_

Yin had finally made it passed the dark section of the mine. She was lucky enough to find a glow ring, which was a Yoba blessing. She had been almost ready to quit entirely due to the utter frustration of making it so far down, only to run out of torches. She slashed a blue slime with her new sword. She tended to favor a sword over the other weapon types because it had a good balance between reach and weight.

She assesed her supplies and decided to call it a day. She'd made a pretty good haul of iron ore and gemstones. She'd even managed to find the tail bone of a sloth creature which would complete the set she'd given to Gunther. Climbing her way up the rickety ladder, she spotted Linus resting just inside the mouth of the cave. Considering the downright oppressive heatwave the valley was experiencing, she didn't blame him for hunkering down here to cool off. She made no sound as she made her way to the exit to avoid waking him.

It was only 6pm when she returned to her farm. She wished she could go to Gus's and just relax with a pint but she couldn't justify the expense. She'd been trying to tighten her proverbial belt and drinking was one of the many luxuries she'd cut way back on. She hadn't seen hide nor hair from Robin and she was a little sad at that. Yin didn't blame the woman, she hadn't been a very good friend to her. She just couldn't invest the time friendships require. There were too many things at stake for her to squander on friendships at the moment.

She had been right in her prediction about Harvey. She'd received a letter from him on Thursday, asking her to come in for a physical sometime next week. His tone was much more friendly than it had been in his previous letter. She was still debating whether she could find a valid excuse to delay it but nothing came to mind that he'd buy. She could just outright refuse, but she knew he'd just try digging in other places. He might very well start contacting old collegues from his residency days and if he did that, then it wouldn't be long before he figured out exactly how much was missing from her file. It was perfectly reasonable to assume he was aware of her files _discrepancies_ but seeing an empty safe and knowing what was missing were two very different things.

She sat down at her desk and tried to pen a reply but three scribbled out drafts later she gave it up as a bad job. She'd stop in on Tuesday and schedule an appointment through Maru. If she waited until Harvey took his afternoon stroll then she wouldn't have to deal with him until the physical which would buy her some time while still looking co-operative.

She crumpled the fail letters and tossed them in the trash before opening grandpa's journal. This was another area that was giving her more trouble than she had originally hoped. Was it too much to ask for plain modern text? When she'd first brought it back to her cabin she had foolishly assumed that it wouldn't be too hard to find the information she needed. She was sorely disappointed when she opened it to find nothing but indecipherable symbols and a few diagrams of some of the beasts she'd encountered.

The last section of the book has entries in her grandfather's handwriting but they too were in the same indecipherable symbol script that the book itself was authored in. The only english in the book was a short paragraph in the begining. _My voice speaks as the spirits of life, the children of the earth, and the fallen stars. My script precedes them but my truth transcends them. Four tomes of the fallen star tribe, a gold circle of the forest forebearers, solidified despair sparkling with the blood of the betrayed lead the cursed one to my truth._

She sighed, dejectedly slamming the book shut and resisting the urge to hurl it across the room in frustration. The book was useless, unless she wanted to waste weeks or months of time on a scavenger hunt across the valley. She was able to guess a few things. _Spirits of life_ had to refer to the Junimo. She had met them in the community center when Lewis showed it to her. She remebered them from some of the bedtime stories grandfather had told her. She still had a letter on her desk from the wizard asking her to come to his tower but she had steadfastly ignored it. Something about the wizard made the hair on her neck stand on end. She also remembered that he had been less than helpful in her initial inquiries about the farm.

 _The children of earth_ was so irritatingly vague that it wouldn't be out of place in a daily newspaper horoscope.

The _fallen stars_ also elluded her for now. She decided to put the book back on her bookshelf and head to bed. She had a feeling that book would be another headache she couldn't afford to get into until the farm was safe.

 _Tuesday 23rd of Summer_

Yin stepped out of the clinic and walked briskly up the northern path. She'd scheduled her check-up for Thursday. Maru was a nice girl, if a bit quiet around her. The girl had mentioned that her mother was doing well but seemed a little sad. Yin felt a sharp stab of guilt in her stomach but tried her best to ignore it. She thanked Maru politely, and exited the clinic, intending to head back to her farm.

Her course was altered when she noticed Harvey walking back toward the clinic down the western stairs. Moving quickly but not quite running she ducked out of sight beside the eastern wall of Pierre's. As he decended into the town square, she took the eastern stairs up heading to Robin's instead, praying he hadn't spotted her. Her luck held out as she passed the fenced off woods, and up the narrow trail, the quaint wooden cottage getting larger into view.

She slowed down as she felt a cramp squeeze her right calf in protest. She hated having to avoid Harvey like this, but she didn't want to deal with the malestrom of emotions he seemed to evoke. She didn't quite know how she was going to deal with her upcomming physical but atleast that visit would have more direction and purpose to it. She was also afraid that too much contact with him might trigger him to remember that day. Without the journal, she couldn't be sure if people could remember the lost days under the wrong circumstance. Her reading into the occult suggested that strong enough emotion could resist the affects of some memory and time magic. She didn't know whether it applied since she hadn't cast the original curse on her farm, she was just a subject of it. In any event, she was doing her best to tread causiously.

"Hey Yin!" Robin called from the door of her cabin. "Are you taking another trip to Zuzu?" Yin fought her cringe. If she was honest, she had been fully intending to walk right by Robin's house and take the western path back to her farm. But she couldn't deny the warm feeling in her chest as Robin smiled at her. She hadn't seen her smile like that since the luau. Yin realized, in that moment, what a terrible person she had been for ignoring her.

"Hi Robin. I'm actually here to visit you." she lied. "I had some free time and thought we could hang out and chat for a little bit. I've been so busy lately and I realized I haven't seen you much since the luau." Watching Robin's smile grow even more made the guilt twisting in her gut clench painfully.

"Come on in. Do you want coffee or iced tea?" Yin spent a pleasent afternoon drinking iced tea and just enjoying listening to Robin as she talked about her family, the drama of the arobics club she'd joined, and life in general. Yin offered some minor gossip she'd heard and rather viscious sarcasm aimed at Haley when she learned what she had done to Sebastion two summer's ago.

Robin didn't make her feel uneasy or selfconsious like she did around everyone else. She could carry a conversation and would inquire about things but she didn't pressure her to talk. She seemed to have an instinct when it came to side-stepping sensitive topics and Yin found herself being more open with Robin about things that she was with anyone else. She hadn't bared her soul or anything like that, but Robin had earned herself some level of trust with her, precisely because she would never demand such a thing from her.

There was a lull in the conversation but the silence between them didn't feel awkward or frought with tension. "Robin? What can you tell me about Harvey. Is he always sooo..."

"Over-baring, pushy, preachy?" Robin grinned, taking a little too much pride in her guess work.

"Any one of those adjectives would be sufficent but yes. I know he just wants to help, or so he says, but he just doesn't seem to know when to give it a rest."

Robin frowned as she chewed her lip in thought. "This is really bothering you, isn't it? The thing you got to understand about him, is he's not the best at reading people. You have to be pretty blunt sometimes for him to understand when he's pushing too much. He's a brilliant doctor, don't get me wrong, but I think he believes that certification gives him more rights to peoples personal information than it does. Makes me wonder if at graduation they just shoved the diploma straight up his ass and now it's stuck there."

"Ewww! I didn't need that particular mental image in my brain, thanks."

"Gotcha smiling though. I could talk to him for you, if you think it would help. I'm not afraid to cuff him on the head when his ego starts trying to take the wheel."

"I appreciate that but I don't think he'll back off unless I talk to him myself. I do appreciate the offer though. Thank you, for being there for me."

"Yin, I'm glad I could help. I think it's time we call it a night, you look like you could use some sleep and I have a build bright and early. Thanks for comming over, I kinda missed just talking to you. Come down to Gus's on Friday and I'll show you that dance move I was talking about." Yin smiled and waved as she left, hoping Robin wasn't going to show her the dance she broke a hip on.

Yin headed back to her farm, slicing her way though the few monsters that blocked her path. They couldn't dampen the deep sense of contentment she felt and she went to sleep with a soft smile on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

_**This chapter is short because it's just before where the plot got overly complicated and I had to go back and redirect. I'm not a good enough writter to pull off what I was trying to do and had to back track and narrow my focus.**_

Chapter 5

 _Thursday 25th of Summer_

Yin made quick work of her watering and harvesting for the day. It was 7:30 when she went back in her house and checked the weather and daily fortune. Her appointment was the first one of the day right at 9. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She could do this and then he wouldn't have any excuse to pry into her life. She had to make it clear to him that she didn't want or appreciate the scrutiny.

She walked to the office and took a seat in the waiting area. George was in th far corner growling at the TV while the news droned on about Joja Corps newest aquisition. They'd purchased a failing pharmaceutical company with the promise of reviving it to it's former glory. They had been a leading producer of an NSAID group of antidepressants specially formulated for kids. She'd bet her farm that within a year Joja would jack up the prices and have ads plastering every doctors office in the Repulic touting the properties of this "new" wonder drug.

"Yin, the doctor will see you momentarily, please come with me." Yin stood, allowing herself to be lead to Exam Room one. She was directed to put on a paper gown and place her street clothes on the desk near the western most wall. Maru pulled the curtain around the windows for privacy so she could change. Yin didn't like where this was going and she took a deep breath. Exactly how thorough was this examination going to be? She fought down the panic trying to claw it's way out. She took off her street clothes and kept her underthings on, donning the ridiculus paper gown.

Just as she was begining to wonder if she could crawl out a broken window without cutting herself too badly, she heard the curtain russle and Doctor Harvey approached her, clipboard in hand.

"I've had some time to review your chart and I noticed you hadn't had a general exam for almost 3 years now. I want to have a decent baseline to work from in case you get hurt. Can you stand up and get on the scale for me?"

She nodded, not bothering to speak since her throat was too busy clenching to force out words. She held the back of the paper gown closed and stepped onto the metal platform of the scale. Harvey furrowed his brow as he studied the reading. "44.5 Kilograms. Given your height, that's lighter than I'd like to see. You can sit back down." She got back up on the exam table as he jotted her weight and some notes onto the clipboard.

He grabbed her wrist but this time it didn't startle her as she ws keeping a hawk's eye on him. Most doctor's asked or warned you before doing something like that but Harvey seemed to have missed some bedside manner classes. She struggled to keep as relaxed as possible inspite of her growing irritation.

"90 beats per minute, higher end of normal range but nothing concerning." He made another note before putting the clip board on the desk and grabbing the irritating little light stick from the tray. She felt his hand on her cheek and gentle pressure guiding her gaze into his eyes. She stared at the bridge of his nose instead, knowing what he was doing. Two flashes of blinding light later and he put the stick back on the tray but he hadn't removed his hand. He lifted his other hand up to her other cheek, letting them drift down slowly to her neck before appling pressure to the underside of her jaw. She couldn't completely suppress the shudder that went through her body and she closed her eyes just long enough to get a hold of her emotions. When she opened them again his hands were still on her cheeks, his pupils dialated slightly and a faint blush dusting his face. He pulled his hands away with a jolt before grabbing his clipboard and making more notes.

He put his stethescope in his ears and held the other end in his palm, warming the cool metal. "Yin, I'm goning to be listening to your heart and lungs. The back of the gown is open so I can listen directly to your lungs. I shouldn't need direct contact to listen to your heart at your age. Breath deep for me, okay?"

She nodded again as he place the stethescope on her back. His hand felt warmer than it had been when he was doing this at her farm. He walked in front of her and placed the stethescope over her heart on top of the thin paper of her exam gown. She didn't know whether she was thankful or resentful of the thin paper barrier.

"You have a good heart, Yin. I can certify that medically now.", he chuckled as he scribbled on her chart.

He grabbed her arm and wrapped the cuff around it, not acknowledging her flinch. He focused on the thruming of her vein through his stethescope as the pressure slowly eased. She felt her arm tingling a little even after the pressure was gone.

"107 over 78. Lower side of normal but good. I'm going to be drawing some blood and doing a basic screen. Do you have any aversion to needles I need to know about?"

"I don't mind needles. I don't like them but I'm not particularly afraid of them or anything." Yin stated softly, her thoat only just relaxing enough for speech. So far this wasn't going too bad. He was a bit cold and callous at first but he seemed to thaw after the first few minutes.

He donned a pair of white latex gloves and tied a latex band around the arm opposite the one he'd used for blood pressure. She felt the slight sting as the needle pierced her flesh and watched in morbid fasination as the crimson liquid flowed into the waiting vial. The needle was a smaller gadge than the one in her case but it was one time use so it made sense. Labeling the vial and puting it into a standing rack, he put the spent needle in the sharps box on the wall before removing his gloves and throwing them in the trash.

He sat back down on his chair, a slight puzzled frown on his face as he stared at her.

"If you were any other patient, I'd tell you the hard part of the exam was over with. If you were any other patient, that would be the truth. But I know you are a very closed and private person. I do have some questions for you and all I ask is that you try to answer as honestly as you can. If you don't want to answer, then that's fine, but please don't try to lie to me. In my line of work, no information is better than false information. Do you understand, Yin?" Yin could see the cold green fire in his eyes, and she couldn't help but feel as if his request came from a personal experience. She considered his terms more than fair but added her own addendum.

"I'll answer what I feel comfortable with but if I choose not to answer then accept that. Don't try to speculate and guage my reaction to guess at the truth."

He seemed surprised at that request, but after a moments contemplation, relented.

"I guess that is reasonable enough. How did you meet Dr. Delta?"

"He was my doctor at Southside." "Did you ask him to add anything to your records?"

"No."

"Did you ask him to cut things from your records?"

"..."

"I see. Atleast I know what I do have is accurate. I'm tempted to ask what you had him cut out but if you went that far to hide it, you wouldn't just tell me. As much as I wish you would trust me, a mutual friend of ours reminded me that my degree doesn't give me the right to pressure you into spilling your life story." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and Yin couldn't help the laughter that escaped her.

"Oh, you laugh it up missy, but I had a headache for two hours after that. Robin may look small, but she's got more muscle in that arm than should be possible from the size. But seriously, I'm sorry for comming on so strong. I hope next time you'll be able to talk to me if I've crossed a boundary your not comfortable with. I do have a few more questions but I promise I'm almost done."

"Have you used Nova or any other drug in the past season?"

"No" Yin didn't know whether that counted as lying since it was technically true in this timeline. How much carried between instances, she didn't know, but she didn't use after her reset. The high hadn't carried over so her theory was it didn't count.

"Are you on any medications?"

"Just the pill and the occasional iron suppliment"

"Is there anything you think is medically neccessary to know in the event of an emergency?"

"Do not, under any circumstances, try to contact my family. There is no one among them who would have my welfare at heart."

Harvey suspected as much, but hearing the bitter tone in her voice as she confirmed it made his heart ache. Before his common sense could stop him, he wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened a moment before relaxing and leaning her head on his shoulder. "Your family doesn't know what they've given up. Your a very special girl Yin, and don't ever let anyone make you think otherwise."

She broke the hug to look into his eyes. She had tears streaming down her face but she didn't know why. He brought his hand up to her cheek and brushed the tears away with his thumb. She stepped out of the appointment feeling much better than when she walked in. Relieved that it had gone so well she whistled a tune as she made her way to the beach for a relaxing day of fishwrangling.

She'd made a pretty decent haul for a neutral day. It was 11pm when she decided to make her way home. She had just passed the northwestern corner of Gus's tavern when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her neck and face. She tried to kick but the body nimbly dodged her shoving a wet cloth over her mouth and nose. She held her breath and fought against her unseen assailant but it wasn't long before the burning in her lungs became too much. A noxious ether like scent filled her nose before she felt her consiousnes slipping from her. She tried one last kick but it was too weak to have done anything, even if had connected. Darkness overcame her and her struggling ceased.

 _Friday 26th of Summer_

When she came to, her hands and feet were bound tightly to a wooden chair. She closed her eyes and assessed her body. She could feel a bruise forming on her right shoulder, possibly from falling after she'd been gassed but she didn't feel any other _injuries._ The ropes were too tight to wriggle out of and whoever had captured her would no doubt hear the chair moving if she tried rocking herself toward the box lined wall. A wall sconce to the northern corner gave off a dim light that barely illuminated the space and cast long shadows on the ceiling

"You're awake now, Ms. Ketaan. Very good. I didn't want our first meeting to be like this but you make youself very difficult to talk to alone." Morris smiled malevently, his eyes mocking her as she struggled uslessly against her bonds.

"Morris, you fucking rat bastard! Who put you up to this?"

"My, my, such vulgar language. There's no need to be hostile I'm just delivering a message, after all. The higher-ups have taken a keen interest in you and they promised me quite the _bonus_ for being their messenger pidgeon." He tried to caress her cheek and she pulled her head away from him. He slapped her with a gloved hand for her defiance.

"Regretably, your not the bonus they were refering to. I suppose it's for the best, your damaged goods anyway."

"Cut the bullshit and get to the point Morris."

"So fiesty! I suppose I shouldn't expect any less from a former Nova slut, sobriety is so overrated after all. Which brings me to my point. Your father doesn't know where you are, yet. But if you want it to stay that way you'll cooperate. Your task shouldn't be all that hard. Find The Book of Starfall and deliver it to me before the first of spring and you can keep your precious farm. The debt will disappear, so will your father and you'll be swimming in the purest Nova money can buy."

"And if I don't?"

"You've worked for us long enough to know the answer to that. It won't be just your farm that's in danger." He smiled cruelly before grabbing her by her hair and pulling her head back. He forced his lips onto hers and roughly grabbed her left breast hard enough that it would surley bruise. Yin struggled against his hold not caring about falling backwards as long as it got his disgusting lips off of her. He let go and she fell backward, wincing as she landed on her tied arms. Thankfully, nothing seemed to be broken but her wrist was probably sprained.

He bent down and grabbed her by the throat, smirking at her struggle as he tore her shirt. She'd almost passed out before he let go, slapping her again, harder than before, his hand ungloved and his ring scratched her cheeck just below her left eye. Grabbing her hair again, he turned her head away from him and licked the open wound like a starving wolf cub. "You may not be my _bonus,_ but damaged though you are, I still think you'll be a _hot fuck_. Struggle all you want my dear, it makes it more exciting for me."

She tried to scream but he grabbed her throat again using his other hand to undo the button and fly on her jeans. She felt tears prickling her eyes as he reached his hand inside but a distant muffled thumping stilled him. "Mr. Morris," a grizzled voice shouted, "you need to get out here. We got double trucks being unloaded and now we have a third pulling in. I already check with the driver and it isn't produce." Morris growled in annoyance and stood up, adjusting his erection beneath his pants so it wouldn't be as noticable before leaving the room, tuning off the light on his way out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter releases will be slower to publish since I'm fighting with the next section more than normal.**

Yin tried to calm her racing heart. She felt rope around her pinned hands catch on a small bit of the chair and an idea came to her. She rubbed the rope against that edge with ferocity, feeling the fibers give bit by bit until finally her hands were able to separate. She undid the rest of the rope with urgency, fear coiling in her gut that he'd return. She took assessment of her injuries as she crept toward the wall. Her throat felt constricted where she had been choked, pain that spiked higher when she tried to swallow. She ignored it for now and felt her way along the steel wire shelves until she found what she had been looking for. She took as deep a breath as she could and pushed the metal bar of the fire escape door.

She didn't break stride as the grating tone of the alarm blared through the concrete structure. She ignored the burning in her chest and waves of pain from her throat as she ran toward her farm. So focused was she, on her paniced flight, that she took no notice of Shane walking up from the southwestern path. He spotted Yin as she passed the clinic but his voice stuck in his throat as he took in her horrible condition.

 _He didn't have time for this shit, it was none of his business_. He chanted this in his head like a mantra and fought the strong impulse to follow the distressed farmer. He couldn't afford another tardy on his record or he'd get his second write-up. As he approached the gray stone building, he winced as the grating tone of the fire door alarm. He ignored it as best he could as he went to his locker, got his box cutter out, and punched in for his shift. He smirked as he watched Morris trying key after key on the open fire door alarm release with no success, half the ring looked to have been tried already. It wasn't until a half hour had past and Shane was well into his routines that blisfull silence finally fell over the store.

Yin was shaking like a leaf as she slammed the door behind her and locked it. She pushed her cluttered writing desk in front of it for good measure before she darted to the back door and turned the lock with such force that the metal snapped in her hand from the torsion. She fought the scream that wanted to escape as her throat spiked with agony, the abused muscles protesting her every swallow and movement. Collapsing in her knees in front of her storage chest, she threw open the lid and fished out a pink vial. She tried to calm her racing heart and brace herself before uncorking the vial. She fought the intense pain and downed the pink liquid, sputtering as some of it entered her lungs. She fell backwards, hitting the back of her head on the hard wood floor but the pain from that faded as quickly as it came. The potion did it's work and her throat opened.

She lied on that hard wood floor for over an hour before the shock of everything she'd endured ebbed away. Her eyes were still wet with tears she hadn't realized she shed. She felt so hollow inside, like her very soul had been torn from her body and ruthlessly shoved back in. She felt as if the room wouldn't stop spinning as she staggered to her bedroom and went straight to the closet. Restraint be damned, she couldn't handle the rollercoaster of despair and utter violation twisting her insides like a thing alive. She opened the cherry wood box and removed the syringe and one vial of nova. She filled the needle one forth the way, tapping the air out and using the same strip of cloth from the lost day to tie off her arm. It was the same one Harvey had drawn blood from yesterday but that felt like a lifetime ago. She found the same hole and slid the larger gauge needle in, plunging the liquid down slowly until just a small bit remained. She extracted the needle and replaced the bandaid that had been covering the wound.

She rinsed the needle with a jug of water from her fridge over a basin before returning to her room and placing it back in the case. She fought the almost painful spasms that rippled through her body as she laid down on her bed. This time there was no arousal. The very thought of it chased away by the memory of Morris's dry cracked lips on her own. She shuddered in spite of the high enveloping her. Burning hatred welled up from her chest and she clentched the sheets as another spasm echoed through her body. Her last coherant thought before welcoming darkness claimed her was that, some way, somehow, he would _pay._

 _Monday, 1st of Fall_

Today had been the first day since the attack that she had stayed around her farm. It was around 6pm now and she finally finished her fall garden. She had spent the last few days deep in the mines, venting her fury upon the beasts. She had missed the dance of the moonlight jellies, not getting back to her ranch till 1 o'clock in the morning. She'd found a note on her door from Robin, lamenting her absence, but she couldn't find it within herself to regret not going. She wasn't ready to face the village after what happened.

The bruises left behind were only just begining to fade, a sickly green tinging the edges of the handprint, the only injuries that the food of the valley wouldn't heal. She was able to cover up the one on her neck with a scarf to enter town and buy her seeds for the season. She had avoided being spotted by anyone before fall because she just didn't want to be asked what happened, to relive it again more than her nightmares already forced her to. A scarf in summer would have only drawn more questions.

Her time in the mines had not gone to waste. She had just learned how to make quality sprinklers, and all the iron and gold she'd come across was being put to good use. She wouldn't have to water every morning this season which will give her much more time to collect other resources to sell. She was about 65 percent the way to her goal as far as her debt was concerned. She'd have to really push herself to her limit but, if she did, she might just have a chance to save the farm. She didn't feel the same joy at the thought that she first felt when she came here.

The voice of reason in her mind asked her, yet again, why she wasn't pressing charges but she knew the answer. She had never tried that route, not against Martin, or Steven, and cetainly not now because she knew it would be an uphill battle she'd have a snowball's chance in hell of winning. She'd stayed at a women's shelter when she was 16, one cold, snowy winter's eve. She was posing as a college student needing shelter from an abusive boyfriend after she'd failed to meet Stetson's quota and was tossed out. She'd heard enough of the stories from the other women to know that most attempts at pressing charges went nowhere. Most were never more than reports buried in some dusty filing cabinet never to see the light of day. The few which managed to make it to anything resembling a trial took a major risk of financial and social ruin if the ruling was for the defendant.

In the Ferngil Republic, any dispute between two individuals for any reason was paid for by the loser of the suit. The cost of the courts time, paperwork, wages, jury selection, the whole damn lot, fell onto the party that lost the dispute. This extended to rape charges, in spite of the fact that those are criminal charges that should fall under republic versus defendant. This was because if the victim wasn't pushing for a trial then there was no trial.

The law was on the books but enforcement, in Zuzu city atleast, was nonexistent. The best a woman could do is to file a restraining order against someone who had already harmed her and prosecute breaking that order if the guy was persistant or stupid but that was it. The attitude towards the few brave women who made it that far into the process was less than supportive as well. In general, the woman was painted as some airhead or slut who had done or said something to provoke her attack. It didn't matter what the circumstances were, the man was rarely at fault in the public eye or media if it even got coverage at all.

Yin could feel the chill in the air sinking into her bones as she made her way back to her farm. She had wanted a fresh start in this place, to find peace in the endless sky and open fields. But that dream was fading faster than the light of the autumn sun. Every memory was shadowed and tainted for her now, and she was so tired of running from her demons. But she got up anyway, dusting the dirt of her worn jeans, and headed off to the moutains again. Her six hour stint in the mines lead her down to floor 90 before she was in danger of exhaustion over taking her. She collapsed into her bed just as the clock turned 2am and slept for the first time with no nightmares.

 _Stardrop Salloon 5:30 PM_

Shane stared into his tankard, watching the bubbles break the surface of the amber liquid. He hadn't seen hide nor hair of the farmer since that fateful morning. He asked around Pierre's this morning and heard that she had been in bright and early to purchase her fall seeds but not much else. He was worried, if he was honest with himself. He remembered the end of his shift that day had been odd. He was returning the overstock to the steel in the secondary back room. He had been cursing Rizzo in his head for jamming the bailer _again_ , as well as corprate for sending even more boxes of Wizzo's puffs cerial because that crap just wasn't selling.

As he put the final break pack of the accursed cerial back in the steel, he noticed a wooden chair and some ropes lying in the isle. He took note of the trail of small brown drop stains leading to the fire exit. An awful feeling, like a lead sinker, settled in his chest as he studied the scene. The rope had a pretty secure knot in it and a break where the edges had been frayed. His mind flashed back to the farmer, a bleeding cut on her cheek, shirt torn, and a darkening hand-shaped bruise blossoming on her neck. _She'd ran from here, someone had been holding her here._ He shuddered, not wanting to believe it. He was on his third beer trying to convince himself he was just being paranoid.

Two more beers later and he still hadn't managed to shake the thought from his head. He started to consider suspects instead, hoping that following the train of thought would find some logic flaw that would render his suspicions riddiculus. Sam didn't have a violent bone in his body. He would play the occasional prank, perhaps, but nothing in such brutally poor taste and he'd never condone hurting someone even for a prank.

Rizzo was an incosidereate asshat and more of a slob than he was. The man was a temp from a small community up north that made Pelican town look like Zuzu city in comparison. He was on parole for a string of thefts he'd committed 2 years ago but he had good motivation to avoid going back to prison. He wasn't the violent sort, inspite of his intimidating tatoos and unshaven face. That secondary room was usually locked since it was technically the warehouse for the dotcom section of the business. Morris didn't trust his underlings not to try to swipe some of the more valuable merch.

Morris was the only one with the key to that room, come to think of it. He had found it slightly odd that it had been unlocked but, at the time, he'd figured his mangager had maybe just had some fucking foresight for once. Morris wouldn't do something so horrible to a person, would he? He tried to convince himself of that as he ordered his final beer of the night. Morris was a major jack-ass, a narcissist to the core who would fly into an absolute frothing rage when anyone questioned his O-so-superior wisdom. He'd been getting worse since his decreased trips to Zuzu city. Rizzo had joked that his trips to Zuzu were where he hired his girlfriend for the evening. Shane personally believed that would have to be a big fucking wad of cash for any girl to consider taking on that twisted, stuck-up son of a bitch.

He closed his eyes and tried to remember if there were any other details he was forgetting. Sam had made a joke about how excited Morris had been for that third truck. He had ignored Sam's out of place suggestive tone and just focus on unloading at the time but... Shane's eyes widened and he fought down the sudden bout of nausea that gripped his stomach. Morris, as much as he and the guys joked, was never _that_ excited about unexpected trucks, at least, not in a good way. If Sam had been even remotely serious then he had been in the back when the farmer was...oh god _no_. He lost the battle with his stomach and emptied it's contents into the nearby trash can next to the fire place. A trash can Gus had put their after the third time he outpaced his limit. Gus gave him a tired gaze before returning to polishing a glass and Emily gently put her hand on his shoulder and escorted him out. He didn't fight them since he was well aware of the late hour. He walked back to the ranch, not staggering as much as usual thanks to his body rejecting those last three beers and the sudden wash of sobriety when he put the pieces together. He wished he hadn't, if he was lucky, he'd black all of this out of his memory and by morning it would be fine.

 _Tuesday 2nd of Fall_

Yin woke feeling like death warmed over. Her muscles groaned in protest as she drug herself out of bed. The dose of nova she had given herself had finally wore off and she was paying the price for her false motivation. She went outside and checked on her field, smiling at the small green shoots as they poked through the earth. Her sprinklers were redundant today as she felt the cold drizzle soak into her hair and pajamas. She went back inside and sat in her office chair. Her body would not be cooperating with her today and she had learned in her experience that powering through it was not possible and would only lead her to pass out unexpectedly.

She stared at the star book in thought, tracing the symbol on the front cover with her fingertips. She had found the last scroll in the collection during her mining frenzy and she had risked going to Gunther's by way of a sea totem. He had given her a translation guide he had written after studying the scrolls. She opened both books and began comparing the two scripts. Much of the star book was still unintelligible but some words jumped out at her. She went to the back of the book where her grandfather's writings were and she could fully read the first few pages!

She smiled softly as her grandfather wrote about his first experiences in Pelican town as a young man fresh out of high school. He was charismatic and hardworking, his natural charm attracted three friends who became like brother's to him. He had been a farmhand working for his elderly grandma who owned the land at the time. He had his own cabin on the grounds and Yin could feel the fondness he had for that little bungaloo. He, Lewis, Marshal, and Marion were thick as theives and epic pranksters to boot. Yin wiped a tear of mirth from her eyes when she read about the underwear flagpole incident. They had been drinking one summer night and had devised a prank to steal one pair of underwear from everybody in town and put them on display. The mayor at the time, Marshal's father Pete, was furious but his anger didn't last long as he walked up to the flagpole and reclaimed his dancing kitten print boxers. The legible part of the entry ended on a sour note as her grandfather wrote of the draft letter he had recieved calling him to King Armond's service in defense of the realm. The first Gotoro war had begun after they invaded Naridra across the Gem Sea. It was believed they were using it as a base of operations from which they'd build their forces to assult the Republic.

Yin knew she wasn't going to give Morris the book, no matter what he did to her. She couldn't bare to lose the only connection she had to her grandfather, outside of the farm itself. She didn't know why the "higher ups" would be interested but if she had to guess then they knew something about the curse. She had read that Joja was run by a counsel of thirteen. All of them from influential families that had once held titles of nobility back when that meant something. One hundred years ago the noble lines had been stripped of all their titles in one fell swoop by the king of the time, who had been fed up with the constant wars for power, territory, and his favor. This repeal of power lead to a failed coup d'etat and a brutal slaughtering of the once esteemed nobility and those loyal to them. After 2 years of battle, the king's army was victorious and only a few noble lines remained. The nobles who surrendered had their lives and families spared but were stripped of their weath as well as their titles. Those smart enough to support the king from the start were able to keep their wealth.

Yin moved her tv to the side, feeling her muscles protest at the work, and pulled up a floorboard. She carefully dug in dirt underneath the supports until the hole was large enough to fit the book with an inch of space more to spare. She wrapped the book in cling wrap, placed it in the box her bikini had come in and then wrapped the box in cling wrap as well. She placed the box in the hole before covering everything back up and replacing the board and repositioning the tv back on top. She hoped that would be a good enough hiding spot until she could find the other language cyphers.

Her minor exertion had left her much more weary than normal. It was only seven pm but she decided to call it an early night.

 _Friday, 5_ _th_ _of Fall_

Shane kicked his foot against the leg of the chair in restlessness. He was in Harvey's clinic waiting to get his yearly work physical. The only good part about this was the fact that he had taken the whole day off for it when it would only be about an hour at most. He fully intended to spend the rest of the day at the dock with a case of beer and maybe a gridball game on tv in the afternoon before Jas gets home from school. Just when he was about to get up and grab a magazine, Harvey called him in.

The exam was brief, just check the boxes and signing at the bottom. He got his vitals done but no blood work was required. They were just finishing up when Shane decided to ask if he had seen the farmer lately.

"Have you seen the farmer at all since the 26th of summer?" Harvey frowned, not sure why Shane would be asking him. He wouldn't confirm or deny a patient's visit with an outside party, but her appointment had been the day before. He felt it was safe to answer the question honestly.

"I didn't see her on the 26th or anytime after for that matter. We got off on bad footing at first and I think she's avoiding me for now. I did apologize but she could still be uncomfortable around me." Harvey privately hoped that wasn't the case but he would respect her boundaries regardless.

"I was sure she would have stopped in here. She looked awful when I saw her on my way to work that morning and I just can't get it out of my head. Pierre mentioned seeing her when she bought her seeds for the season so I'm sure she's alright now but I have a bad feeling."

Shane went on to describe his observation at work, and his own guess work at the bar later on. "I think I'm probably just being paranoid. I know she spends a lot of time in the mines and she could have just been returning from there. I want to believe that but my mind won't let me."

Harvey put his head in his hands. He didn't want to believe either scenario since it would mean that Yin was risking her health in her avoidance of him. The first scenario was much more worrying though. Unfortunately, it was also the one that made the most sense. If anything remotely close to what Shane was suspecting had happened then she would no doubt be avoiding everyone as much as possible. There was also the concern about what kind of monster was walking amongst them.

"I'm hoping your wrong as well. I think I'll go visit her tomorrow and talk to her. Since it shouldn't be a medical visit I'll be able to tell you what I learn if it helps you get your mind off this. If I refuse to answer any of your questions, or don't come find you then don't push."

Shane nodded in understanding, as he put his trainer's back on. "I hope you can do something for her. Even if I'm wrong, she does spend way too much time alone on that farm. I'm far from the king of friendly, but even I can see that, which isn't a good sign for her." Shane turned and left, Harvey barely noticed as he fought the headache blossoming in his temples.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 _Saturday 6th of Fall_

Harvey was debating the wisdom of going to see the farmer, in spite of his promise to Shane. He had only just cleared the air with her and he didn't want to seem like he was prying into her life again. He wanted to believe that if she had been hurt or assaulted then she would have come to him for medical care. As nice as that lie was, he couldn't quite believe it. Just knowing her history, the little bit he did from her chart and his own guesswork, he knew she wouldn't seek out help unless she exhausted all other options.

He didn't have an offical medical reason to visit her, until he remembered the blood work he'd done. It was a flimsy excuse, as he usually never delivered the result of such things personally, but it would give him a professional reason to call upon her. A part of him asked why he couldn't just go to visit her the same way Robin does? What was wrong with wanting to become friends with her? He locked those questions away not wanting to examine them too closely. His first priority had to be to make sure Yin was okay.

He felt a sense of disquiet as he walked the trail past the bus station toward the farm. He could feel the air change, taking on a more ominous quality. There also seemed to be a lingering sense of isolation and sorrow that chilled him more than the blustery autumn breeze. It was nine am when he came into sight of the cozy little cabin. The structure felt like a baston of warmth in the gloom of this place. Just as he was about to walk on to the porch, the light inside switched off. The door was thrown open and he froze when he noticed the sword at his throat. He'd never been more afraid in his life as he watched cold azure blue eyes stare into his, judging him. Whatever she was judging, he'd passed and he breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she sheathed the blade and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"I hope this is a short visit, Harvey. I had planned an all-day mining trip and want to get as much time in as I can. " Yin sighed, but stepped aside and invited him in. She let him take the only chair while she leaned against the wall and studied him. He was a little pale, no doubt still recovering from her threatening display at the door. She felt bad about that but ever since the incident, she'd been jumpy around people. Even Robin had noticed her restlessness and had kept her conversation short when she had spotted Yin passing her house on the way to the mines. He made no attempt to hide that he was studying her as well.

"A patient of mine mentioned seeing you the day after your appointment looking like you'd been on the losing end of a fight. I didn't want to believe him. I know you'd come to me if you were hurt, right Yin?" Those damnable green eyes bore into hers with an intensity that made her cringe. She didn't want to lie to him but she sure as hell didn't want to talk about what happened either.

"If my life was in danger, I'd seek out your services but I wouldn't come to you over injuries I can just as well treat on my own. I have debts to repay before spring or I could lose this farm. I can't afford to see a doctor everytime I scrape my knees or get a paper cut. Look, I don't have anything against you, but I've had my reasons for keeping my distance from you. I want to trust you, and I know you would never intentionally hurt me, but if I get close I will get hurt none-the-less. As cliche' as it sounds, I mean it when I say, 'it's not you, it's me.'"

Harvey sighed, it was a hell of a lot more than a paper cut she'd been seen with. He knew she was trying to avoid the whole issue and he could feel the frustration welling up with in him. "That was no mere paper cut you were seen with and you damn well know it! If someone hurt you, you have to tell me. Normally I wouldn't press, but I don't think you want it on your conscience if this person decided to hurt someone else. This isn't just about you anymore. Please Yin, don't shut me out." He reached for her but she dodged his grasp and started pacing. He had stood up during his outburst and was trying to look her in the eye to make her see his frustration and sincerity. He leaned against the wall she'd just vacated in her agitation and, not a moment too soon, as she turned eyes blazing in utter rage.

"How _dare_ you!", she hissed. "This has nothing to do with you or anyone else in this town. I do not appreciate you attempts at guilt-tripping me into confiding in you. That was pretty fucking low and isn't doing anything to instill any level of trust. I've seen your type enough to know what happens. You'll pretend to care, worm your way into my confidence and only when I've let my guard down will your true colors, and the price you demand, be known. Everytime I've fallen for it, the price has always been too high. I can't do it again Harvey, I can't hope for someone to respect and listen to me without condition only to be disappointed again. I can't..." She could hear her own harsh breaths and tried to calm her racing heart. She tried to walk to the bed room but Harvey was blocking the way. She tried to push him aside but he wouldn't budge.

He had a gut feeling that he shouldn't let her into her bedroom while she was this upset. A terrible fear gripped his heart and he dug his heels into the wood not letting her pass. He pinned her arms to her sides in a bear hug and she fought against his grip. In spite of his firm grip on her, he spoke softly trying to calm her.

"Yin don't do this please.", he whispered. The flash of a memory stirred with in him, a watery smile and the bang of a fired gun. Blood, so much blood, and he was weeping. He had rejected her when she was at her most vulnerable and she took her own life. But she hadn't, he'd never gone to her house on a rainy day but he knew he had. He was losing his mind but Yin was his first concern. "Don't harm youself in anyway, if you can promise me you're not in any danger of doing that I'll let go."

All of Yin's fight left her, her eyes widening in shock. Her legs gave out from beneath her and Harvey gently lowered her to the floor. "You remember, don't you? Tell me what you remember Harvey." her voice had lowered in a shocked whisper but he heard her request as clear as a bell. "You had used nova and I found out after I went to visit you about getting your physical. You were acting so out of character that I decided to give you a physical right on that chair. I noticed your pupils weren't dialating and retracting to light the way they should be and knew. You tried to kiss me but I couldn't take advantage of you in that state. I thought I was making the right decision but you went into your bed room and got a hand gun from your dresser. I tried to get to you but I..I.." He held on to her as if she would disappear at any moment, she felt her stomach twisting in guilt.

"You know that's not what happened, I'm right here.", she tried to make her voice even and steady. He didn't need to remember that terrible day as anything but a nightmare. "I'm fine, well, maybe not fine, but I'm alive. I was at the pier all day fishing, and Robin mentioned you looked a bit pale that day when she saw you on the way to Pierre's. Look at me." Yin turned his bowed head toward herself and stared directly into his eyes. "I'm right here Harvey, perhaps you had a bad dream but that's all it was." His eyes narrowed, he pushed her against the frame of the door. "You know what's going on, don't you? You asked me if I remembered, like you knew there was something worth remembering. Tell me the truth Yin! I want to understand, to help you, why is that such a horrible thing?" She flinched as her back hit the door frame, the jam digging painfully into her back. She felt fear overwhelm her again as he stared into her eyes, emerald fire clawing at her very soul. Her fist were balled so tightly that her nails were digging into her palms, small dots of red welling up underneath. She was frozen, she could feel shock taking over and the edges of her vision were becoming blurry, from tears or loss of consiousnes she didn't know.

Harvey was horrified with himself as her body went slack, pitching precariously before he caught her. What had he done? Why had he pushed so hard? He lifted her and carried her to her bed. He checked to make sure he had not injured her in his fury and breathed a small sigh of relief that the mark on her back was just a pressure indentation that would not bruise. He took her hand into his and noticed the bleeding half moon marks on her palms. He'd driven her to this. He'd swore not to push her but that's exactly what he had done. He had no right to demand honesty from her when he could not offer the same in return.

Yin's eyes fluttered open and she found herself lying in her bed. Harvey was sitting on the edge, holding her hand with a deep worried frown on his face. He looked so broken, so frail in that moment, that she felt her heart constrict in empathic pain. He had the right to know the truth. If he was going to remember that awful day then he deserved to know why it happened. She sat up slowly, fighting off a rush of dizziness. Harvey twitched, startled at her movement and hastily let go of her hand. She pulled him back in and held him. He hesitated only a moment before his arms wrapped around her, his head nestled into the crook of her bruised neck. She suppressed the urge to wince. He noticed her slight tremor and picked his head back up off her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Yin. I had promised not to push you but that's exactly what I did. I don't know what's going on but even still..." She could see the dark shadows that played across his face, could almost feel the guilt and self recrimination. She pulled him close to her and tenitively kissed his lips. It was just the lightest of touches, the kind of kiss that was light enough to easily pull away from. She waited what seemed like ages before he pressed his lips more tightly against hers, his hand cupping the back of her head and his other arm wrapping around her lower back.

He licked her bottom lip and she gasped in surprise before she was lost in the feeling of his tongue entwining with hers. His mustashe tickled her upper lip but the hair was surprisingly soft and not scratchy at all. He broke the kiss first, leaning his forehead against hers and closing his eyes briefly, trying to regain his control. "I still want to know so much about you Yin, but if you're not ready then I'll try to be patient. I've got the feeling you've been hurt by a lot of people in your life, people you should have been able to trust."

"I'm sorry too Harvey, I want to tell you but I just..." Yin flailed her arms, trying to find the words to express the sheer terror that gripped her. She sighed in distress before she gave up. "There should be a cherry wood box in my closet on the top shelf. Bring it to me and it should help me tell you what you want to know."

He grabbed the box and brought it over to her, settling on the edge of the bed beside her. She lifted the lid and he was stunned at the vials of royal blue liquid within. He had seen nova a few times in his residency, taken off drug deallers who were being treated for gunshot wounds from turff disputes. He had never seen samples in such a dark and unified shade. He watched as she took a resuable needle out of the top of the case and picked up a vial that was only 3/4s full.

She hadn't been using before her office visit, the blood test proved as much. It had been Morris that had driven her back to this. He should have stopped her but he didn't. A selfish part of him needed to know what his memory or dream was. Another part of him realized her addiction might have been the only reason she hadn't done more drastic things to herself. He couldn't deny her whatever solace she needed at the moment if it meant she wouldn't have to bear this burden alone.

She used a torn strip from a shirt, the same one she had been wearing in his dream after she had changed. She tied off her arm and injected herself with a practiced ease. She hadn't drawn all that much into the needle, only about 15mL if the delineation on the needle were accurate. After she removed the needle, she dipped it in a small bowl of chlorinated water on her nightstand. Replacing the metal cap on the sharp end she placed it back in the case. She closed her eyes and waited for the drug to take effect. He watched as small muscle twitches moved down her body. She winced when the tremors went down her throat muscles.

"I have an salve that can help the bruises heal faster, it's one of the few things I always carry on me." He fished the small canister out of his pocket and held it out to her. He noticed her hands were still trembling slightly and he took pity on her. He opened the tin and placed it on the night stand. Slowly, he reached over and gently touched the material of her scarf. He waited for her to nod of consent before he slowly pulled the fabric away. He held back the gasp that threatened to fall from his lips and the sudden burning desire to rip Morris limb from limb.

Dipping his fingertips into the container, he spread the ointment over the hand-shaped bruise with the softest of strokes. He felt her shudder and watched as a delicate pink blush washed over the unmarred portions of her skin. He asked if there were any other bruises and she looked away in shame, pulling down her shirt just enough to show the edges of the bruise on her chest.

He gulped, and gathered more of the salve on his fingers as she took her shirt and sports bra off in one smooth motion. He tried not to stare at the pert round flesh as he focused all his attention on spreading the salve on her other bruise. It had taken a supreme amount of will but he focused on his promise not to hurt her.

Yin couldn't fight the flush of her skin as he rubbed the salve on the sensitive skin of her chest. His touch was even softer than it had been on her neck. She almost moaned in disappointment when he completed his work, the combination of nova and soft touches igniteing a slow wave of desire through her nerves. She felt goosebumps creep up her body as the cooling mentholated salve went to work. She put her sports bra and shirt back on, stealing a glance at her flustered doctor as he tried in vain to avert his gaze from her body.

After she had dressed again she felt his arms wrap around her and more of her defenses crumbled. Before she had even realized she was speaking, words were tumbling from her lips like water from a cracking dam. She told him of her father's cold calculating malice, her mother's smoldering resentment and despair. She told him about that awful day in the kitchen and how utterly useless she felt. She told him about her life on the street, her life as a pick-pocket for stetson's group. She told him of her job at Joja call center when she turned 18 and the long torturous hours and her introduction to nova.

She told him of her life on the farm, of the monsters, her first death, and her grandfather's words. She hadn't mentioned what Martin had done to her. She didn't tell him about the vengence she extracted in return. She didn't mention what Steven had done to her or how her decision to come here or take her own life had been decided by a coin toss.

The fresh wounds were the hardest to talk about. Even with nova flowing through her veins, she could still feel tears flowing from her eyes when she thought about that horrible rainy day. Talking about the incident with Morris was harder still, but she had said too much to stop now. She felt as if she was purging an infected wound. Once she was finally done she felt hollow, and weary. She waited for him to laugh at her, sneer at her, call her crazy or any number of things. She was shocked when instead, he wrapped his arms around her.

His head perched atop her own and warm tears splattered against her long raven locks. "Yin, you're so much stronger than I ever realized. You never deserved any of the burdens that were placed on you. Look at me." She pulled back enough to look up and she felt such aching tenderness and compassion flowing from him that her tears started up anew. She wanted to believe him so desperatly, in that moment, to sink into his warm embrace with no reservation, no fear, and let him carry her burden for just a little while but she couldn't. He was a mirage in the desert, the promise of an end to her thirst and rest from her burdens that would stay ever out of her reach. She knew what she was, damaged goods. That feeling of being a tresspasser in paradise she'd felt in his clinic roared back into her heart like a starving lion that had broken its chains.

"I've told you more than I should have but perhaps it's for the best. I think I just need some time to sort myself out." She watched as a flicker of fear passed through his eyes and sighed. He had valid reasons for feeling that way but she had no intention of resetting. "I promise I'm not going to do anything stupid. I just need some space to think and let my feelings settle, I promise. I also want your word that this stays between us and that you won't go after Morris."

Harvey was disappointed she had stipulated the part about Morris but acquiesced. "Are you sure you'll be okay? I wouldn't mind staying, if you want me to." Yin knew as much as she wanted him to stay it would only lead her to a place she wasn't ready for. Her self control had been strained to its limits in too many ways today and she didn't think it would be able to last much longer. Her emotions were too close to the surface and she didn't want to rush into something on impulse that she'd later regret. "You've already helped me so much, more than you realize. I just need some time to let things sink in."

Harvey stared her directly in the eye, trying to ensure she was telling him the truth. He gave her one more hug whispering his goodbye before he left. She laid back down in her bed, feeling suddenly colder and more empty. Without his warmth beside her she felt so very alone. It was only about 4 in the afternoon and she couldn't afford to lose many more days of productivity.

Standing up she grabbed her sword, some foraged summer grapes, and two warp totems. Raising the moutain one aloft she made her way to the mines. She was at level 95 and she was determined to make it to 100 tonight. Slicing through monsters with single minded focus allowed her to clear her head and stuff down the confusing emotions that had been broght to the surface by Harvey's visit.

It was 9:30 when she finally made it to the 100th floor. She opened the treasure box, expecting another piece of armor or a new weapon. She was confused when instead she found a strange purple star shaped fruit. She had used up her grapes getting here, and she decided to try the strange fruit in hopes that it would heal some of the more annoying gashed and bruises that littered her body. It was strange how monster damage and self inflicted wounds could be healed this way but the bruises Morris had left on her were only just starting to lighten in color and fade.

The fruit was sweet and tangy with a slight bitter aftertaste. After she finished the berry she felt her body collapse and shake of it's own accord. Had it been poisonous, she wondered. She felt energy pouring into her, surrounding her. Her vision was tinged purple then white and she was floating off the ground where she had collapsed. There was a blinding flash of light and she collapsed back onto the cold stone floor with a light _thump_.

She got up and noticed how much better she felt. It wasn't just that she felt healed, she felt _alive._ Whatever this fruit was, she needed to find more of it. She felt as if she'd been reborn and could feel the small boost in her energy reserves. It was an incredible experience that the purest Nova couldn't replicate. She felt as if she could go for another ten levels but decided not to get too cocky. She held her warp totem aloft and traveled back to her farm. She'd test her new might on home turf before chancing another mining disaster.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 _Sunday 7_ _th_ _of Fall_

Yin's week had been one of the most productive she'd ever had. After her experience with stardrop fruit she had decimated the monster population of her farm with her new found strength. The bastards were running from her on site, the few that had survived and remembered her rampage. She'd even got back inside with time to spare.

She decided to spring for the house upgrade that Robin had been peddling way back when she first arrived. She justified the cost in the same way she did her tool upgrades. Berries and forage were okay, but they didn't heal all that much. If she could cook actual dishes then she'd be able to get farther in the mines per trip. She could use the cheaper things she fished and standard quality produce she grew and make it go farther than the small profit she made from selling them directly.

She celebrated it's completion with Robin yesterday by cooking a nice breakfast and binging a show Robin had been trying to get her to see for ages. They had a good time and Robin even complimented her cooking. She was somehow wrangled into visiting the aerobics class Robin took but she wasn't under any pressure to join.

She was doing better overall, she was starting to get less jumpy. She was slowly making trips back into town again, and she'd even stopped in to the saloon for a lime soda-water. She'd asked Lewis about the underwear flagpole incident and she was amazed at the fond smile and light that came into his eyes at the memory. She pretended she didn't know the full story just so she could watch him tell it. It was the first time she'd seen him so animated outside of Marnie's company when he thought no one was looking.

She used a warp totem to get home from the bar, still wary about walking alone at night. The monster's gave her a wide berth, still traumatized from her rampage. She entered her new house and felt at peace for the first time in what seemed like ages. She lit her new fireplace, letting it warm the room while she enjoyed her new shower. Just these little luxuries were enough to lull her to sleep the moment her head hit the pillow. She should have known it had been too good to last.

 _Thursday 11_ _th_ _of Fall_

Yin had a bad feeling in her chest. It wasn't her anxiety, but she almost wished it was. A dark sense of foreboding had made it's home in her for the past week. It wasn't clairvoyance, at least not to an extent of being useful, but she had learned to heed that instinct and stay on guard. She checked her mail and looked over her bank statement. Something was off, she would have to look at it closer this evening but that feeling of dread did ratchet up another notch.

She made her way into the village heading toward the southern section of the river, close to Jodi's house. It was a great place to fish for river varieties, though no one quite knew why. Yin personally suspected that young Vincent was using the fish bait he'd asked her to get for him but not on the fish. The bugs had been horrible during summer around this patch of land. She noticed a pile of rotting bait poking out of the dirt and realized he'd been using it to attract bugs for his collection. The bugs he didn't keep were attracting fish, who would pick off the ones that fell onto the surface of the water. In any event, fishing here now, as the chill of autumn was freezing out the more bitey insects, was a boon. She had even captured a few tiger trout which were a rare cross between normal trout and sunfish. They were born sterile so they couldn't breed making their numbers small.

She had made a pretty decent haul when she spotted Jodi running back to her house. She looked stressed, her usually impeccable bun crooked, hair frizzing out of the failing clasp. It was much later than she was usually out and Yin felt that feeling she'd been having all week reach a crescendo. She spotted Morris speed walking down the path, a twisted leering smirk on his face, and her blood boiled. Jodi tripped on her high heels and Yin sprung in front of her prone body, sword drawn pointing toward Morris's approaching form.

He slowed and walked casually into the dim light of the street lamp, his smirk widening into a demented smile. "Well, well, well. Out chasing one bird only to find the one that escaped. Best move along, I promised Jodi a very _special_ birthday gift. If she doesn't mind sharing her present maybe you can join us." Yin had been ignoring his taunts and watching as his hand edged closer to a black satchel he had on his belt. Her reflexes were lightening quick when he threw some sort of canister at them. She didn't breath as she used the broad side of her blade to bat the object back at him. His eyes widened comically as he tried to dodge and failed. A thick white smoke enveloped him and she smiled as he choked and gagged before falling to the pavement.

She turned to Jodi offering her hand to help her up. "Thank Yoba you were here Yin! I was shopping late after I realized I didn't have the oregano I needed for my pizza sauce. Morris kept offering to walk me home and just wouldn't take no for an answer. We were in front of Pierre's when he grabbed my bun and yanked my head back, trying to put some sort of cloth over my face. I was able to move to the side and break his grip on my hair and ran for it. That man just doesn't know when to quit. Thank god my aerobics class also does yoga or I wouldn't have had the core strength to move like I did."

"I'm glad you are okay. Head back to your house and lock the door. Is Sam home?"

"No, he's at Sebastion's for game night. I don't want him to know what happened since he might do something stupid. If only Kent was here..." Jodi's eyes shined in the street light, as a trail of tears fell from her eyes. Yin's heart went out to Jodi and she hugged her gently and guided her to the door of her home.

"Don't unlock the door for anyone. If you can, call Sam and have him spend the night at Sebastions. I'll deal with Morris, I have a score to settle with him anyway."

"He tried to hurt you too, didn't he?"

Yin nodded tightly, but didn't elaborate. "I promise he won't hurt anyone else, I'll make damn sure of that."

"You can't kill him Yin, I don't want you to get into trouble."

"I'm not going to kill him Jodi, I promise. He might wish I had when I'm done but he'll live."

Jodi shuttered at the cold fire in Yin's eyes. She wasn't going to ask what the farmer planned, she had a feeling she didn't want to know. Yin was an honorable sort from what little she knew so she just trusted her to keep her promise.

"I trust you, Yin. Thank you for standing up for me. I always did get a creepy vibe from him but I could never believe he'd do something like this. Good night, Yin."

"Stay safe, Jodi."

The door clicked shut and Yin returned to Morris's prone form. She removed the black satchel from his belt and dropped a sea totem on him. A wicked smile crept on to her face as she made the short stroll to the ocean landing point.

Morris's eyes fluttered open, wincing in pain at the light from the fire pit in front of him. He felt fear engulf him as he watched the farmer heating a rusty dagger over the fire. The metal was glowing in the heat of the flame. He tried to back away but he was pinned in place, ropes binding each limb between two sturdy palm trees. Her smirk was malevolent, twisted by the dancing shadows of the flame.

"Joja Corp doesn't take very good care of their pets. They are rather irresponsible when it comes right down to it. Don't you agree, Morris?"

"We can talk about this Yin! There's no need to be hasty. I can help you, you know. I know who is after the book and if you just cut me down we can talk about this. You'll lose the farm for sure if you're convicted for murder.", he quibbled, voice filled with terror as he eyed the glowing blade.

"Murder? Is that what you think I'm going to do to you? Oh no, you're still a useful pet to them. I'd never kill someone else's dear beloved pet. Unlike you, I am not a monster. No, I don't intend to kill you. But they have been very irresponsible in relation to you. The leash is a little too loose, but maybe they just don't have the time to discipline properly in the lesser stores. I just intend to correct their oversight." Yin's cold smile widened as she circled her captive, reveling in the fear radiating off of him.

Morris felt the sea breeze on his skin, in more places than he should have. He looked down and noticed his state of undress. He looked up and felt the fear gripping his heart tighten like a vice. She approached him with the still glowing knife and he screamed as pain engulfed him. He tried to twist away from the hot blade as she carved into his back but the ropes were too taut to allow him much movement. The smell of burning flesh and cauterized blood made bile rise in the back of his throat. He refused to let himself loose his stomach, not wanting to give the traitorous whore the satisfaction. She returned to the fire, resting the blade against the hot stones. She debated whether she wanted him to be awake for this next part or not.

"That was your punishment but now I must complete the responsibility your owners have failed to do. Thanks to your little bag of tricks, you won't need to be awake for this part, as tempting as that is. What kind of vet would I be if I didn't put you under before fixing you?" Yin pulled out the canister of chloroform and one of the white cloths, soaking the material and approaching Morris's frantically struggling form. He had strained his vocal chords with his last scream but he still tried with only the occasional squeak for his efforts. She watched in detached fascination and cold amusement as he fought against his bonds. She smothered his mouth and nose and waited until his struggling ceased. She took the dagger and finished heating it once more before she began her _surgery_.

Yin left his unconscious form at the back door of Joja mart, near the fire exit she had used just a few weeks ago to escape. He would no longer have the capacity to force his affections on anyone ever again. She watched as Willy staggered back toward his shop on the pier from the saloon. She made her way back to her farm with a cold, satisfied smile on her face that didn't fade, even as she succumbed to sleep.

 _Friday 12th of Fall_

Morris woke with tremendous fiery pain throughout his body. His muscles protested from being strung up for so long but their ache was nothing compared to the fire on his back and groin. That bitch hadn't bothered to return his clothes or his bag. He used his code to enter the back door of the now closed store. Going to his office he dug around in the back cabinet closest to the eastern wall and donned his spare suit.

He glared at the black statue which stood in front of the window in silent vigil. It almost seemed to be mocking him with it's dead eyed stare. Reluctantly, he placed his hand on the dark pulsing stone in it's chest and felt the sicking pull of warp energy over-take him.

He landed in an ungraceful heap on the soft, blood red carpet. The Joja Corp insignia stood out in sharp gold relief, twelve points connected to a thirteenth dot in the center like a wheel with spokes, although the outer dots were not connected to each other and the lines uneven lengths on the outer edge. He fought the agony that flared from his ungraceful landing and stumbled to the sixth door. He took a moment to collect himself before turning the handle slowly and creeping inside.

The room was bathed in shadow, the only light from a yellow wall sconce near the door. A cloaked figure sat at the huge wood desk, the darkness not allowing him to see any detail or feature of the figure sitting before him. Morris winced in pain as he kneeled before the figure.

"The farmer isn't going to cooperate. If you give me the word, I can just kill her myself and tear that farm apart. You'll get your book and the farm in one fell swoop. I see no need to pander to that arrogant little slut.", Morris growled.

He felt power overwhelm him and he pitched forward from the force of it, tendrils of blackness invading his mind. The force receded and he picked his head up off the rough carpet just in time to feel the sharp sting to his right cheek. The force of the blow forced his head to the side and pinched the muscles in his neck from whiplash.

A deep male voice growled at him, the tone implying deep displeasure. "You **fool**! Your instructions were simple but apparently not simple enough for you to follow. You just couldn't resist taking a taste of the girl. She was right that I have been way too lenient with my pets, especially you, but I see she found a fitting punishment for your disobedience. You should be thankful that she carried out your punishment. If I had carried it out, I would have made sure you were awake for _every_ _last_ _**cut**_." The figure backhanded him again, a slow trail of blood flowed from Morris's nose. "I could restore you but your usefulness to me will greatly improve without your libido distracting you. If you can serve me well then I will restore what was taken from you." The figure paced in front of his desk, his cloaked hood pointing in his direction from time to time before his pacing stopped right in front of him. A rough calloused hand grabbed his chin and forced his gaze to the cold gold eyes shining through the darkness of the hood.

"As for your foolhardy suggestion, if it were that easy we would not be having this conversation. She is protected by powers similar to our own in the valley. Getting that book is paramount to uncovering the secret to her power and breaking it, but you had to fuck it up!" The force that had invaded his mind pressed in on him again, throwing him against the door. The impact was all the more painful because of the burnt cuts on his back and he cried out in agony before slumping to the floor. "You will have one final chance to prove you are not completely worthless. Return to the valley and await my order. You will not leave your post for any reason until I personally command it. Now BE GONE! " The door opened of it's own accord and he landed in a crumpled heap on the edge of the insignia where he had ported in, green light fading from his skin where the energy had seized him. In spite of his rough landing, his wounds no longer burned. He grumbled as he touched the center of the insignia. He'd hoped to be fully healed when he came here but he'd underestimated how much he had annoyed his employer.

Yin awoke, feeling refreshed for the first time in ages. The sun was shining through her kitchen window and she hummed a jaunty tune as she made herself a hearty breakfast. She was trying to enjoy her good mood for as long as possible and had pointedly ignored the statement on her desk for the moment. Her intuition told her once she found out what had felt off about it, she wouldn't be nearly so chipper.

After her breakfast, she decided to make today a lighter work day and headed south to collect wood from Cinder Sap forest. The sky was a deep azure blue and the sun's warmth countered the slight chill of the autumn breeze. When the wind died down, for brief moment, you could almost convince yourself that summer hadn't ended here. It was the perfect weather to be working outdoors.

She swung her ax with practiced precision and let her mind wander. She hadn't seen Harvey since Saturday. She had been avoiding him, if she was honest. She was trying to bury the strange feeling that was burrowing into her heart. No matter what she felt, she couldn't let that situation get any worse. He had returned her kiss, and, at the time, she had wanted to believe that he did so of his own free will. She had run that day through her head a thousand times and knew better.

He had remembered the lost day between them, fresh as if it had just occurred. He remembered the clumsy kiss she had tried to give him the first time and the horrible events that took place after. He kissed her not out of any particular desire but out of fear that she would hurt herself, that his rejection would cause her to break once more. If she was honest, then he may not have been entirely off base with that concern. That was the crux of the problem, no matter what her heart was telling her, she wasn't stable enough to consider a serious relationship. She didn't want to have a relationship founded on emotional manipulation.

She also didn't want to interfere in the close bond he seemed to have with Maru. She could tell there was something there, Maru's shy glances when she thought no one was looking. Harvey's look of fondness when Maru wasn't looking. They had a connection, and she was loath to break such a beautiful dance between them. She had probably danced with him at the flower festival, come to think of it. Whatever was between them was a slow burn type of thing from what she could observe.

The point was, she had no right to swoop in and command his affection when she wasn't stable enough to do anything with it. If she was honest, she didn't know if she'd be staying after she paid off her debt. She had been toying with the idea of making the farm into a community garden and donating the whole thing to the townspeople. A public garden would be just the kind of community enrichment that would bring the townsfolk closer together and make them less dependent on Jojamart. The sticking point with that idea was the monster problem.

That was a thought for another day, she had to make sure she got to keep the farm before she could make any plans for it. She felt her energy waning and decided to call it quits for the day. She had cleared the lake shore of most of the trees blocking it and had no doubt that Marnie would be surprised at the unobstructed view she now had. Hoisting her heavy back pack onto her shoulders, she made her way back to the farm. Shane was just heading home from work to change as he caught the retreating figure of the farmer in his view. He felt his heart jump as the blazing red light of sunset bathed her in an aura of fire. It took everything he had to ratchet his gaze away. Shaking himself from his stupor he vowed not to think about her and practically fled for the safety of the stardrop saloon.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: *taps microphone* Is this thing on? I've finished writing year one but I am undecided whether I'm going to continue with year two. If you've enjoyed this story or have any constructive criticism on how I can improve, I'd love to get a review. There's still a few more chapter's before the end of the year but I will be monitoring traffic and reviews to decide whether this project is worth continuing.**

Chapter 9

 _Tuesday 16th of Fall_

The sky was overcast and gray as Yin finished her harvesting for the morning. The corn stalks were nearly falling over with the weight of their bounty and the fierce wind blowing down from the north. A bitter chill bit into her skin as she gathered her crops and dropped most of them in the sale box. Today was the harvest festival and she was debating whether she had anything that would stand a chance in the grange competition but she highly doubted it. She decided to go anyway since the BBQ Gus made was said to be a town legend and she rarely turned down a free meal.

She checked her pack, making sure she had everything she thought she might need. She didn't know how long the festival would be or if she'd stay for all of it. If she got too on edge, she planned on just heading to the mountain lake to fish. She also made sure to pack her sword, wary that Morris might have vengeance on his mind. He'd be stupid to try it with so many witnesses around, but if he was angry enough, he might not care anymore. She packed something else too. She knew Lewis would be at the festival and he had given her an odd request over the summer. She had only recently be able to complete it, thanks to other, more pressing concerns taking her attention.

She didn't know why he would ask such a favor from her, as she was practically a stranger but perhaps that was the whole point. She probably wouldn't have accepted except for the exorbitant amount of money he was offering. She kept the item in a plastic bag, not wanting to touch it directly, if she could help it. She might be able to separate him from the crowd at some point and collect her payment.

She didn't really understand why he was so insistent on keeping his relationship with Marnie on the down low. Yin hoped, for Marnie's sake, that the relationship was a simple agreement of convenience between them, rather than something more serious. She had been in that kind of clandestine relationship before and it was painful to realize you were little more than someone's dirty little secret when you cared about them. She wondered if they seriously thought they were fooling anyone with the public facade. She shrugged her shoulders as she tied her hair back, glaring at the fly away strands that refused to cooperate. It really wasn't any of her business but that didn't seem to stop anyone else from throwing their own two-cents in. Giving up on her hair, she made her way toward the village square, scarf catching in the strong norther breeze and fluttering behind her.

The town square was festooned with fall colors, ribbons, banners, and cornucopia's decorated the tables. Various tents and stands lined the walkway and people she'd never seen in the town wandered from stand to stand. She didn't feel the tight coil of anxiety blooming in her chest that she thought she would. She wasn't on nova at the moment but she wasn't in withdrawal yet so she supposed that's why.

She checks out the first booth and almost gasps in shock, on the top shelf she sees the strange purple fruit she found in the mines. She look at the price and realized that it was a top prize for winning star tokens during the festive. She growled in annoyance. She'd been to this kind of festival before in the lower east side of Zuzu and knew the score. Most of the games were usually rigged and the top prize usually required so many tokens as to be unobtainable. She walked away briskly, tamping down the brief temptation to employ her slight of hand to get the item. She didn't work for Stetson anymore.

Standing next to the strong man game, Lewis mentions the grange display competition and she nods as she passes. She takes a look at the competition and realizes that even if she had known about this event and kept her better produce she wouldn't have stood a chance against Pierre or even Marnie. She respected Marnie's grange more if only because she had put hard work and effort into her wares. Pierre had the unfair advantage of just being able to buy the best from people willing to sell, which she felt took away some of the meaning of the whole exhibition. She noted one of her gold quality watermelons in the offering on his table and look away in disgust.

"He always wins this contest, it's not fair but I still enter to show off all my hard work for the year. I take pride in knowing I worked for all this rather than just buying it from someone. Are you going to open a display, Yin?", Marnie asked as she watched her eyeing Pierre's display.

"Probably not considering most of my better produce is on _his_ table. I didn't even know about this event or I might have saved a few things for it. Certainly explains why he was so delighted when I came in to sell, smug bastard."

"Don't worry about it Yin, there's always next year. How are you holding up, hon? Jodi and I are in the exercise club together and she mentioned what happened on her birthday. You weren't hurt taking care of him, were you? I tried to tell Lewis he shouldn't trust that man in town when he first arrived, especially given his history with George but what do I know? Sometimes I just wish Lewis cared about more than his image and re-election."

Yin nodded solemnly, not bothering to reply. She had feared that Marnie felt more for the Mayor than simple attraction and she was not happy about being right. A wicked idea sprung to her mind and she went back to Lewis long enough to register her grange display. Marnie might be a bit embarrassed about this but maybe Lewis might take it as a wake up call. Either way, it would no doubt be entertaining. She place the single item in the center of the case and left the other slots empty. Telling Lewis she'd finished setting up she stood back and watched as he evaluated each box.

If she had blinked, she would have missed the dark scowl that crossed his face as he "judged" her item but she gave him credit for maintaining his cool. She watched some sort of communication passed between him and Marnie as he examined her box. He patted her grange as she sighed and looked away, tears brimming in her eyes as she tried desperately to plaster on a fake smile. Yin was burning in rage as she guessed what had passed between them. Marnie could never win this competition no matter what she brought. The mayor couldn't be seen as showing any favoritism toward her lest their relationship come under question. So they really did believe they were fooling the entire town with this farce.

Lewis announced the winner, Pierre of course, and motioned her to speak with him privately. She watched Marnie study her display and nearly laughed when she mentioned the strange purple lettuce and how much they looked like the Mayor's lucky.. cutting off when she realized what she had been about to say. There was a bit of embarrassment but she had an amused glow to her and she gave Yin a sly wink, barely suppressing a smirk. It was better than watching her cry, the woman deserve so much better.

"You! Was that some kind of sick prank?! Those are very private!" He leaned in closer noticing the curious eyes that had noticed his outburst and spoke in a much lower tone, "I'll give you 750 star tokens if you clean out your box and deliver my item to me tomorrow." Yin nodded in reluctance but shot back, "Old Pete must be really laughing it up, wouldn't you agree?" Lewis shooed her away but she didn't miss the slight upturn of his lips or the wistful look in his eye as she left. He might not admit it but he could see the humor in the situation, if it had been anyone else at any rate.

Yin enjoyed the jingling of the cheap tokens in her pocket as she walked down the square. She tried her hand at the fishing tent and added 250 more tokens to her pocket. Eyeing the chance wheel she looked curiously at the man running it. He seemed familiar to her and she strained her memory trying to place him. It finally dawned on her when he spoke, a heavy accent coloring his words. She thought Jefferson was still in prison but he was always a quick talker. He no doubt reduced his sentence with some sort of plea bargain after he'd been caught scamming older folks with a reverse mortgage scheme. She didn't know exactly how it worked but he had made quite the tidy profit from it, for a while. Too bad he got greedy and didn't know one of his victims had been the grandmother of a high ranking inspector for the 28th precinct. He'd been a close associate of Stetson's before he started making serious bank with his scam but they had a falling out.

She studied the innocuous looking wheel, trying to find the trick or catch he was using and noticed the frame was slightly thicker on the orange half of the circle. It was one of Stetson's earlier tricks back when he worked the carnival circuit, long before he began teaching street punks how to pick pockets and market sob stories. She smiled when she realized she'd found her means of acquiring the tokens she'd need for that starfruit.

Two hours of wheel spinning later and she had all the tokens she'd need. She left after that, noticing the angry frown the man was sporting. She whispered to him as she left, "Stetson sends his regards." and watched in amusement as he stomped his foot and muttered curses at her retreating back. She purchased the fruit and felt the same overwhelming power flow through her. She was surprised it was legit, to be honest, but more shocked no one had noticed her floating off the ground from the infusion of power. It was amazing how much magic flowed through this valley unnoticed by the people who lived here.

She skipped up to the food pavilion and dug into Gus's legendary BBQ with zeal, almost moaning in pleasure as the tangy spice hit her tongue. The villagers had been understating it by a lot. This was divine with just enough spice to be warming but not overwhelming, the brown sugar cancelling out some of the fire from the chili rub he used. She had fun, enjoying her conversation with some of the villagers that she usually didn't see, save for in passing. She felt almost uncomfortably full as she returned to her farm that evening.

 _Sunday 21_ _st_ _of Fall_

Yin shuffled her feet nervously as she waited for the clock to strike 9 am. She had a blue box in her hand wrapped in a pretty green silk ribbon she'd found near the travelling merchant's cart a few weeks ago. She suspected it had been Jas's hair bow but she didn't feel all that guilty about re-purposing it since the child had been so careless with it. If she hadn't have grown up as she did, she might have done the right thing and returned it. Finder's keepers was a principal that had saved her from starvation on more than one occasion, and a difficult habit to break. She consoled herself with the fact that it wasn't expensive to replace.

She knew Robin absolutely adored aged goat cheese and she had gotten a pretty good deal from the merchant for this. She hoped it would be enough to make up for her lack of visits. She also still had to make time to visit the exercise class that she had promised to check out. There just never seemed to be enough hours in the day and winter was drawing close. She didn't have much time left before her debt would come up due on the First of Spring.

That issue was further complicated by the fact that Joja was supposedly doing "server maintenance" whenever her bank tried to forward her interest payment. Her statement had showed that she had more than she should have because they'd been unable to send the payment. As a result she would have had a late fee had she not forced herself to walk into Joja mart and make a payment there. Morris glared at her and stomped off into his office when she entered and, for that, she was thankful. But she could feel the hatred from him rolling off in waves. He was no doubt biding his time before getting his vengeance. Whether that was by his own choice, or by orders, she wasn't quite sure but he would not act that day.

She made sure to get a duplicate receipt so they couldn't conveniently "forget" that she'd paid them but she knew if they kept pulling this farce that she would have to find another avenue. Whoever was dicking her account around, whether it be her father, or whoever wanted that book, she knew they would find a way to block her ability to pay them through the store as well. Strictly speaking it was illegal for them to refuse payment of a debt but they technically hadn't refused. At least, that would be what they said in court if she had the means to take it that far.

Her watch ticked over to 9 and she entered Robin's house. She was saddened at the shear surprise that crossed Robin's face but Yin knew she deserved it.

"Rumor has it someone's the town birthday girl for today. I thought I'd stop by and give you a gift. I know we haven't had much time to hang out but there's been a lot on my plate lately."

Yin held out the wrapped parcel and tried to suppress the shaking in her arms. She felt a sense of relief when Robin took the package from her with a soft smile before grabbing her in a tight bear hug.

"Thank you, Yin. We need to have a serious talk but I'm glad you haven't forgotten me." She unwrapped the gift and gasped in surprise. "Oh my! This is wonderful. I don't even remember mentioning my fondness for goat cheese and this is the good stuff from the capitol too! Your such a sweet heart." Robin tried to grab her for another bear hug but Yin dodged her and laughed at her pouting face.

"I'm glad you like it but I need my rib cage to remain in it's natural shape, thank you very much. Let's sit in the kitchen and talk for a bit if you have the time."

They both sat down at the kitchen table and Robin filled her in on all the town gossip she'd missed out on as she poured them both steaming mugs of coffee. Their banter was light and easy but Yin could feel the pressure of the elephant in the room weighing down on her.

"Jodi mentioned what happened to her. I'm not going to ask what you did to Morris as I'm confident I don't want to know, but she also mentioned you had a score of your own to settle. I noticed the bruise on your throat, Yin, when you were traveling to the mines. I won't push you to tell me what happened but I am here if you need to talk or just listen to someone else talk and forget about it for a while. I...I know what that kind of experience can do to you and I don't want you to feel as if you're alone." Yin could feel her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

She tried to fight it but she felt her control fail as Robin wrapped her arms around her more gentle than the bear hug from before but just as solid in presence. Robin cooed softly, comforting her but otherwise did not ask her any questions or try to tell her it would be okay. It was the first time since that dreadful night that someone had comforted her without demanding to know every last detail. She felt as if she was finally grieving rather than just stuffing it away. Harvey had helped her accept that it had happened but Robin was helping her accept the feelings that came with it. It was okay to not be okay. She wondered if this what a mother's care was supposed to feel like.

Her tears finally dried and Robin pulled back, offering her a tissue for her stuffed up nose. They sat in companionable silence for a moment finishing their coffee before Robin's daughter, Maru, came into the kitchen.

"Oh hi, Yin. I'm glad you were able to free up your schedule a bit. Mom was getting a bit snippy as of late, and I kind of figured she was missing her third child."

"Maru!" Robin blushed as she admonished her daughter.

"Oh come off it, you know it's true. Besides, I wouldn't mind having an adopted sister since Sebastion is such a dweeb. Maybe you and I could hang out and I can show you my robotics build I'm working on. I'm also an assistant for my father's research. I even earned a scholarship from the government for my contributions."

"That's lovely Maru. I'll keep that in mind next time I have some spare time. It's just too easy to get lost in a major project and lose track of time. It sounds like you might know what that's like." Yin smiled warmly at the bubbly girl, she was so very different than when she was working at the clinic.

"Speaking of all consuming projects, I have to go and finish filling out my college apps. I've missed the deadlines for the fall semester but I might be able to make the spring one if I stop slacking. It was nice meeting you, Yin"

Robin smiled bemusedly as she watched her daughter skip off to her room. "That girl just might be the death of me yet. But she's not entirely wrong, just not the most tactful. I suppose I sorta do feel like you're a second daughter to me. You remind me of a dear friend I had in college. She was just as sharp and sassy as you could be and her commentary on our professors were a riot to listen to. She ran away with some boy she met in the city and I never even got the chance to say good bye.", Robin sighed. Yin couldn't help but feel as if something in that story sounded familiar. She shook herself of the thought before she could dwell too much. She'd ask what college she went to and the name of her friend another time. If her hunch was right then Robin's motherly instincts toward her might not be completely random.

It was late when she left Robin's house. Dinner with the family was odd but not uncomfortable. Demetrius seemed to be distracted and didn't contribute much to the conversation, but he seemed nice enough. Sebastion was a bit quiet at first, but opened up easily enough when she asked him what he was working on.

The particulars of coding and programming were lost on her but she did pick up the basics and mentioned some of the people in the industry in Zuzu that might be interested in his designs. She also warned him about Joja's open hire program and what it was really like for the IT guys. Her overall advice was to read the contracts you're offered thoroughly before making any commitments, look for every way they could screw you over, and find every loophole you can. He seemed grateful for the advice and made his excuses to leave the table to review the offers he'd already been receiving. Yin left them with a pleasantly full stomach and a warm feeling in her chest. She could tell that above all else Robin loved her family dearly. It was not easy to mend a family torn by tragedy but they were getting there.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: I'd like to give a grateful shout out to my first reviewer**_ creampurin. **_Your review was a shot in the arm for me and it did get me pondering how to better flesh out year two with character development._**

Chapter 10

 _Sunday 28th of Fall_

Yin had finally hit rock bottom in the mines and was disappointed with the strange key that she had acquired as her prize. She studied the broken rune pattern on the wall, a somber feeling overwhelming her. This had been the place where George lost his legs and his brothers. She touched a loose bit of stone that had fallen to the floor, broken symbols in black obsidian inlaid throughout. She could almost feel the echos of life that had been swallowed here, as a single tear fell down her face and onto the broken stone. Her knowledge of Dwarvish allowed her to read a few of the symbols but it was otherwise a jumbled mess of characters. She took out a piece of charcoal and some paper and copied the broken circle as best she could. She wished she had Haliey's camera about now but she hadn't wanted to interact with the stuck up bitch to get it.

It took her over an hour to copy the complicated swirling circular pattern and broken shards of symbols but she worked with dogged determination and focus. Carefully folding the paper and putting it in her pack, she debated whether she wanted to head back up five levels and gather more ore before she called it a night. Taking stock of her meager rations, she decided not to press her luck. She probably had just enough food to make it but it was getting rather late and she didn't want to risk passing out down here.

Using a totem, she appeared at the green jeweled statue on her farm and made the slow journey to her home. _Home? When had this become home?,_ she wondered. It was a strange sensation to realize how much her time in this place had come to mean to her, despite the hardships and pain. She sliced a rather aggressive red bat that had been trying to dive bomb her. The monsters that appeared at night were stronger but they only made token attempts to attack her most nights.

She entered her quiet home and peeled off her blood soaked clothes. Tonight most of it was monster blood rather than her own but she did still have a few gashes on her leg and shoulder. If she had acquired these kinds of injuries in Zuzu she'd be running to the nearest clinic screaming that she was dying. It was strange, how the pain didn't faze her anymore, how it was almost a marker of a good days work. She had a feeling that she'd be feeling like this quite a bit over the coming season.

She had made 85% of her goal, not counting what she had earned from today's venture. Her deadline would be the 24th of winter since she'd have to make a long hike to Camp Maria the next day to make sure her final payment would be sent in. It would be a long trek but it was her only shot at ensuring that she could side-step who ever was trying to meddle with her account. She hoped she could go and come back quietly without alerting them but she had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy.

Camp Maria was a science outpost to the far north, well past the train station and the mountain beyond. Stardew itself was at the very edge of the camps exclusion zone and as a result didn't have some of the technologies that were common in other places. They couldn't have cell phones or other wireless devices because the electrical noise would interfere with the radio telescopes of Maria.

Demetrius was getting his funding from the earth sciences division and tasked with studying the effects of reduced electromagnetic energy on the plants, animals and soil of the area. Sebastian and Maru were among the few that had access to computers as a result of Demetrius's work. Anyone else in town who wanted to have a computer in their home would have to pay quite a bit for a contractor to insulate the cables from generating unwanted noise. It was the mark of a prospering family if you were able to have a computer in the valley, given the additional costs. The fines for non-compliance, however, were far higher than the contractor and were rigorously enforced.

The camp itself sent out one data transmission a day which contained all the uploads to the university servers, government records, email, and private sector communications. Joja mart had a small convenience store out that way but due to the restrictions in place, they had to comply with the data transfer schedule. About fifteen years ago they tried to claim that some of the workers at the camp were not paying their credit debt but the civil suit investigations quickly turned to criminal investigations when it was found that they were purposely filtering out data from the stream. They claimed to the bitter end that it had been a technical glitch as a result of a bad Apache plug-in but the court didn't buy it.

The Queen herself had intervened when she had received a letter from one of the scientist of the outpost. His supposed defaulting on his debt was endangering his chances of getting custody of his daughter. The Queen herself personally looked into the case and was furious. She made a royal decree that Joja corporation and any subsidiaries, partners, or contractors thereof could not refuse, alter, or filter communications from any science outpost, military facility, or frontier encampment without concrete proof that the content filtered out was malicious or damaging in nature. The Office of Telecommunications and Broadcasting or OTB would be required to audit these communications yearly to ensure compliance.

It was an interesting case she had read about when she had gotten distracted in her will and inheritance research. She had just like the idea of the almighty Joja corporation getting their comeuppance for their shady practices for once. Her temporary distraction was proving to be more useful than she could have imagined. She wasn't planning her celebration just yet, though. She knew it would be a very rough winter for her with no room for rest. Since she wouldn't be able to rely on crops to generate income, she'd have to work twice as hard to make up the difference. She hadn't taken nova since her confession to Harvey for this very reason.

The stardrop fruit had probably been the main reason she hadn't suffered from the usual withdrawal. She had looked into it and had strong reason to believe that the original inventor of nova had been trying to synthesize the stardrop fruits properties. It hadn't been successful in that regard, but the synthesized compound was still quite useful to the army as a stimulate and soldier enhancement drug.

It wasn't until the soldiers returned home that the true damage of nova's influence was fully realized. It was highly addictive and it's sudden absence from their system had driven some to depression and others into full blown psychosis. The original formulation was banned but other variants found their way on to the black market with varying effects but all of them were just as addictive. It was strongly suspected that Joja mart itself was behind the manufacture of most of the nova that could be bought off the street but no one could prove it. The uncut stuff she had been given was from one of the smaller independent labs.

Yin turned off the shower and finished her nightly routine. She was still in love with her upgraded house and couldn't fathom how she'd gotten along without so many basic amenities for so long. She turned down the sheets of her bed before sliding in and reveling in soft comfort. Tonight would be the last night she would get a full eight hours of sleep before she began her final grind to pay off her debt. She prayed to whatever god would listen that it would be enough.

 _Monday 8_ _th_ _of Winter_

Yin peeled herself out of bed, her limbs felt like lead and she hissed in pain as she tried to stretch. She had been working from dawn till well after dusk for the last seven days and it was catching up with her. She'd barely even had time to check her mail and almost missed her monthly bank statement. Joja had grudgingly accepted her store payment from last month but she knew that wouldn't work again. The front of the store had a notice that, due to system upgrades, they would no longer be able to process bill payments. They even included a mailing address to send a check on the sign, but she knew damn well if she tried to do that it would get "lost" in processing.

Yin took a hot shower and hoped it would be enough to sooth her protesting muscles but it was only marginally helpful. She took note of the festival flag on her calendar and sighed. She would have to leave soon if she wanted to avoid Robin's attempts to get her to be social. If she was going to be out in the bitter cold freezing her ass off, she'd rather be making a profit from it. She dressed hurriedly and tossed her rod, home totem, and some food into her pack before raising the sea totem aloft just as she heard a knock on her door.

Yin shivered from the bitter chill and biting wind as she landed. Her coat was no match for the full force gale that blew across the ice strewn sea. She resigned herself to another cold day as she took her spot at the farthest pier. She'd never been to the beach when it was so quiet. All around her was just the wind and sea, no footsteps of people crunching the sand, no creaking pier from Willy's own fishing endeavors. In spite of the cold, she felt a gentle sort of peace fall over her. She didn't want to lose the chance to have a life in this valley. She felt her resolve crystallize as she yanked on her fishing rod, pulling a massive albacore from the icy depths. When she finally pulled up her line for the evening she had caught quite the bounty. She'd even managed to haul up a few treasure chests and was enamored with the gold bracelet she had found in one of them.

She walked back to her cabin, surprised at the utter silence on her farm. The only sound was the crunching of her shoes on the soft, fluffy, snow. She chucked her catches into the sale box and trudged wearily inside, clenching and relaxing her fingers in an attempt to get warmer blood moving through them. After getting a fire going, she studied the bracelet in fire's light. She traced the strange script that circled around the band and felt her eyes grow weary. When her fingertip completed it's circuit along the engraved characters her body went slack on the couch as the blue gem on the bracelet glowed with a strange inner light. Her mind's eye was enveloped in cerulean blue as strange whispers echoed across her hearing. The language seemed unintelligible at first but as she continued to listen she understood more and more. **_Between worlds we watch as the shattered pieces gather, the shadows they cast following close behind. Yoba's blessing fades as the thirteenth is hounded by the blood-kin of greed. Feel our words and seek out our descendants in the town's heart. Find the sorrow of the shadowed ones and know their strife. The tome of the fallen star will light the darkness._**

 _Tuesday 9th of Winter_

Yin's eyes shot open as the winter sun's light crept slowly up her living room wall. Her neck was stiff and sore, cracking and popping from her movements as she stood up and stretched the kinks out of her abused body. Knowing she couldn't afford to take a day of rest, she got her box out of the closet and took her first dose of nova this season. The jolt that flowed through her was brief but gave her the boost she needed to pack her mining gear. It wasn't even 7 am before her sword was hilt deep in the monsters of the mines.

Harvey sighed as his waiting room filled up, the coughing and sneezing like nails on a chalk board. He made a mental note to order more hand sanitizer and disinfectect. Winter had hit full stride in the valley and so had the cold and flu season. Most of his patients were thankfully just suffering from the cold virus and he dutifully prescribed bed rest and fluids. He kicked Pam out, again, as she tried to argue why she should have antibiotics for her cold. He invited her to go get a second opinion and she stomped her foot in irritation before staggering back to her trailer. He didn't know how Penny put up with that woman but he felt sorry for her.

By the afternoon he'd cleared out his waiting area and started his charting for the day. Now that he didn't have patients to distract him, he turned his thoughts back to the one person they'd been stuck on since autumn, perhaps longer if he was honest with himself. He hadn't seen her much since that day. The few times he'd seen her in town, especially lately, she looked thinner than she had been before. Her skin looked ashen and pale, her eyes sunk in and her cheek bones were more prominate than he remembered them. She was driving herself into the ground and he was at a loss as to what he could do. He wanted to go to her but she was never home when he called, leaving early and comming back long after dark.

Even Pierre hadn't seen more than a passing glimpse of her which was highly unusual. Then again there were no crops to grow in winter so maybe it wasn't as bad as Pierre was making it out to be. But even without Pierre's concerns, he still could see, with his own two eyes, that the farmer wasn't doing well. He cursed his selfishness at not taking her supply of nova away from her. No matter what he might have thought at the time, he knew how dangerous that stuff could be. _How much trouble could she really get into?_ , the selfish part of his mind wondered. It wasn't like she could die, afterall.

He tried to deny the memories of that lost day when he got back to the comfort of his clinic. He tried to tell himself he was dellusional, she was dellusional, but deep in his heart he knew what he had remembered. She couldn't acctually die so why was he so worried? A flash of pain filled blue eyes filled his mind and made his heart sink like a stone. She may not die while in the valley, but she could still feel and remember the pain of it. It also made her more reckless and what would happen if she had to leave the valley with that kind of mentality. He feared she wouldn't understand the full risk of her choices and end up well and truely dead.

He also knew there were far worse fates than death. Even if she couldn't die, she could still break in ways that couldn't be reversed. He was afraid of that more than he cared to admit. He'd done a brief internship at Zuzu Psyciatric hospital before transfering out to Zuzu medical and still shuddered at the broken souls he'd seen there. He punched his desk in frustration, ignoring the sting of his knuckles as he fought his tears. For all his desire to help, here he was, useless again. No, he couldn't just sit back and watch anymore. He had to think of something, do something!

He couldn't do anything to help her directly but maybe he could get information she might find useful against Joja Corperation. Whoever was pulling the strings there wouldn't stop going after her just because they couldn't hold the farm over her head. There was something much more sinister at work. He pondered how he would go about getting much of anything out of the corrupt business but then it clicked.

Shane was the key, he had been the one to warn him about what had happened to the farmer. He worked for them but he was far from a corporate cheerleader. He had his own axe to grind against Morris and just maybe the idea of taking him down from within the company might just persuade him to help. He would have to proceed delicately though, since he was honor bound not to break Yin's trust in him. He filed away his charts before washing his hands and heading up to his room to ponder his idea and unwind with a glass of wine and his favorite jazz album.

 _Sunday 14th of Winter_

Yin stumbled in the thick blanket of snow on her way to town, it was still very early but she had to make a detour today. Her progress might have been even slower if she hadn't been able to follow in the mayor's tracks from her sale box. If she had waited until a more reasonable hour they would have been buried in the heavy snow. She retreived the bottle with a blue bow from her coat. The bottle itself was wrapped in a warmed cloth in hopes that it wouldn't freeze before the recipient found it. After all he'd done for her over the past year, the least she could do was remember his birthday. The wine wasn't anything to write home about, but it was the first bottle she ever made. She left her pacel in his mailbox and used her moutain totem to begin another grueling day mining.

Harvey awoke from his uncomfortable sleep. He had been doing some reading at his desk and had fallen asleep. His back muscles protested his less than ergonomic sleeping position as he stretched, a series of cracks and pops rippling up his spinal column reminding him that he wasn't a college freshman anymore. He put on his robe and wandered downstairs long enough to check his mail before making breakfast.

He was shocked when his hand grazed a bundle of soft cloth. He lifted the object up and smiled when he saw the bottle of wine with the blue bow around it. He had almost forgotten today was his birthday. He placed the bottle on his wine rack and sat down to read the note that had been taped to the bow.

 _Harvey,_

 _This is the first bottle of wine I ever made. After all you have done for me, I wanted to give you something nice for your birthday. I won't be around much since I still need to make the rest of the money to pay my debt. I have reason to believe that someone is trying to block my efforts. My bank can't deposit the funds because of "server issues" and now the local Joja Mart is conveinently upgrading their systems. I've found a work-around and, hopefully, when the season is done I won't have to work so hard. I'm sorry for taking advatage of you like I did back in autumn. It was wrong of me to kiss you after what you remembered. I thought it best to keep my distance from you after that. I don't want you to feel as if you have to relent to my advances out of fear for my safety. I don't think I could bare thinking that I used you like that. You're a kind soul with a good heart and I can't help feeling as if I was taking advatage of that. I'd like to think that we can still be friends but it will take me sometime to morn what I ruined, to let go of those feelings. No matter what I think I want, I know I'm just not in a good place for it. I also realize that while my farm will be safe, I will still be in danger from them. I don't want anyone else to get stuck in the crossfire if it gets bad. I wouldn't put it past them to use those I care about to get what they want. Please stay safe and don't worry about me._

 _Love *****_ ** _line scribbled out*_**

 _Your dear friend,_

 _Yin_

Harvey sighed as he placed the note on his stand. How could he not worry about her? He was surprised that she had interpreted his response like that but he couldn't fault her for it. It also explained why she had told him to leave when her eyes so clearly pleaded with him not to. As misguided as her assumption was, he could admire the maturity she was trying to show with facing the issue. He could also admit that part of him had been scared that she wouldn't have handled rejection in that state. It was not the driving force behind his reaction but it was there.

He hadn't tried to look too closely at his own feelings. He knew she wasn't in the best place emotionally but he couldn't help the warm glow that he felt when he held her in his arms. He tried to deny it, not wanting to let them get in the way of doing what was best for her but it just kept getting stronger. He told himself she was just a dear friend but something about that felt incomplete. He forced himself to focus on his plans for the day. In his heart he knew why, but his mind was not ready to acknowledge or label the gentle flutter he felt when he looked at her.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 _Friday 19th of Winter_

Shane could feel his sore muscles screaming in protest as he made his way to the Stardrop saloon. Morris had been a right bastard since fall and he was slowly but steadily reaching his breaking point. With the Festival of the Winter Star just around the corner, freight flow had been horrendous. Morris's explosive tantrums and verbal abuse of the crew was worse than it had ever been before, and they'd lost most of their better team members as a result. As it was, Sam was skating on thin fucking ice because of his inability to keep his attitude in check.

Shane didn't know the what had caused Sam's new antagonistic attitude toward Morris, as it was quite out of character for the otherwise easy-going young man. There was something he had missed but he didn't try to pry into it. He'd seen workers crash and burn before but there was a resentment and hatred that sparked between the two that seemed far more personal than shoddy treatment and wage disputes. He walked up to his favorite corner of the bar and Emily slid his drink to him without comment. The place was far more packed than the usual weekday crowd but he expected that for a Friday night.

He felt a tug on the arm of his hoodie and was just about to tell the person doing it to fuck off when he noticed it was Harvey. Shane wasn't the most observant of people but he could tell the doctor had been having a rough season. He seemed thinner and the corner's of his eyes seemed more creased, the beginnings of crows feet slowly etching their way into his features. His eyes were dull and shadowed in a way Shane had only seen in the mirror and on the face of the farmer when she thought no one was looking.

"We need to talk. Come to the back booth and I'll buy you a drink in exchange for your time." Shane had his suspicions on what this was about but after the awful day he had he decided not to make it easy on the man. After all, he'd been left hanging for entire two seasons without so much as a word and he was not in the most charitable of moods.

"I'll listen to a point Harv, but just so you know, your not my type so don't get all handsy on me." Shane watched in amusement as Harvey sputtered before pinning him with a glare.

"Hardy har har. It's about a concern you brought up to me at your summer physical." Shane got the message and nodded, debating what could have caused the otherwise tight-lipped doctor to come to him now.

"Let me finish my first drink and I'll be over."

The work preservation sense was warning him that he should leave this alone but the small fraction of him that was still a decent human being decided to hear the man out. He had a feeling that Morris's more awful than normal behavior might be linked to this. Sticking his head in the sand had not helped him bury the memory of Yin's battered body and panicked flight. He wondered if he would regret this as he downed his half empty tankard and headed to the back booth.

 _Thursday 25th of Winter_

Yin gasped in wonder at the view of the valley from her vantage point. Climbing the mountain behind the train station had been tiring but as she gave one last backward glance she marveled at the splendor that was Stardew Valley. Ahead of her, the forest sprawled onward toward the horizon. Even without the thick foliage covering the trees, the light of the setting sun never reached the cluttered undergrowth beneath the twisted trees limbs. The only clear paths to the camp were underneath the power lines that seemed to converge in the center of the forest. It was the only break in the dense canopy aside from the power line trails.

She double checked her pack and made sure she had the courier writ of passage Demetrius had given her. She had mentioned that she would be stopping at the camp and he had give her the task of dropping off some samples he'd collected. He could have shipped them but she had insisted on delivering them herself as a means of having a legitimate reason to be at the camp. She could almost feel when she left the boundary of the valley. The night air seemed to grow colder and more still as snow gently descended from the black sky. The only sound around her was her own foot falls crunching in the snow and her labored breath as she pressed forward. She felt exhausted as the morning sun cut through the receding clouds and she finally caught sight of Camp Maria.

 _Friday 26_ _th_ _of_ _Winter_

She showed her courier pass to the guard post and they eyed her speculatively before letting her into the compound. She followed Demetrius's directions and delivered his samples to Dr. Mardine. She was awful chatty and inquisitive about the valley and Yin had to fight down her irritation, she didn't have time for this if she wanted to be on her way by nightfall. Thankfully after a few minutes, the doctor excused herself to check on an experiment and Yin sighed in relief as she made her way to Joja mart.

It took two hours, three different forms of release to the government and two manager signatures but she finally paid her debt. She made sure to get two copies of her proof of payment and mailed one to her bank to put in her safety deposit box. The other one she mailed to Mayor Lewis with a short note explaining her will and what to do with her property if she didn't return by the second of spring. She kept the original on her in an internal pocket on her winter coat. She took a power nap in the library and left just after the 4 pm data up-link.

Yin felt as if she was being watched as she made her way out of the camp. She had tried to use a totem to return to the valley but it fizzled and turned to black ash in her hand. Of course it wouldn't be that easy, she groaned mentally. The mountain she had climbed down was much more intimidating from this angle. She followed her own trail in the snow from the previous day and was thankful that it had not snowed again during the day. She could hear foot falls behind her and quickened her pace as much as she could manage. She had heard a couple of loud pops in the distance and gritted her teeth as she poured more energy into making it to the side of the mountain ducking into the dense forest for short spells in hopes of losing her pursuers. She had just started her climb up the mountain trail when she felt the sharp sting of a bullet enter her right calf.

Breathing hard, she fought the burning of exhaustion in her limbs as she ascended, weaving as much as she could to make herself a more difficult target to hit. The task was not easy as blood flowed from her leg wound, the stained snow behind her making her easy to follow. She ripped the sleeve of her coat and tied it tightly over the wound to stem the flow as she continued to move. She had just reached the top and finished the knot as she felt the valley's energy wash over her again. She had let her guard down too soon and her left shoulder exploded in agony and a spray of crimson.

The snow turned red as she pitched forward and tumbled down the hill. She felt pain blossom from the back of her head as hit a particularly nasty rock on the way down. Her elbow had also hit pretty hard against something, but it was getting more difficult to pinpoint all her injuries. She landed on her side on the cold hard ground. Ignoring her pain she dug through her pack, praying for something to aid her. She wasted her home totem at the camp but she was shocked when she found one to the mountain shrine in the inner pocket. Praying she was within range, she activated the totem and felt it's power hook into her. Black cloaked shadows cursed her from the top of the hill as her vision spun away from the darkened train platform. She landed at the mountain shrine with a heavy thud and a hiss of pain.

She tried to stand, crawling up the mountain shrine statue with her good arm. She barely noticed the bloody hand-print she left behind as she drew her sword to use as a walking stick. Slowly, she made her way south, cursing the snow as it slowed her down even more, though the cold did dull some of the pain. Her legs gave out from under her as she reached the steps next to Harvey's clinic. She shook her head as her vision swam, putting every ounce of will into making it to his door. Her arm burned from strain as she pulled herself forward, her fingers turning blue as she tore through the snow to the stone beneath, her nails tearing and bleeding on the pavement. She didn't know whether her injuries would kill her since they were inflicted so far from the shrine and she didn't want to find out the hard way.

She made one more attempt to stand once she reached the clinic door but the best she could manage was to sit and lean against it. She pounded on it and prayed Harvey wasn't a heavy sleeper. Her vision was going gray around the edges and she heard a menacing laugh. Oh Yoba no, Morris edged into the light and sneered at her as he drew a wicked sharp black dagger from his belt. She closed her eyes and braced for the inevitable but was shocked when the whistle of two arrows pierced the air and pinned Morris to the quest board. He screamed in agony as blood trickled from the twin wounds but fell silent as Mayor Lewis stepped into the light, his eyes like cold fire and the air almost crackled with his rage. She felt the door she had been leaning on give way and the last thing she remembered before unconsciousness took her were terrified green eyes staring down at her.

 _Sunday 28th of Winter_

Yin flinched as the bright light of dawn filtered through the room. Her flinched triggered a cascade of pain through her abused body. A presence approached her bed and she struggled to open her eyes.

"Easy there, Yin. Just take it slow."

She opened her eyes, squinting against the too bright light before she adjusted. Her vision finally clear, she met the concerned emerald gaze of doctor Harvey. She tried to speak but her throat was dry and scratchy and all that came out was a raspy, unintelligible whisper.

"Don't try to talk yet. You've been out for almost a day and a half. You've had IV fluids but you need to drink something to moisten your vocal chords. Here."

She carefully sipped from the straw and relished the cold liquid flowing down her throat as the dry scratchy feeling eased. Harvey placed the Styrofoam cup back on the tray table before turning back to her. He grabbed her hand and started taking her pulse, the action had not surprised her and almost felt familiar and comforting. She suspected he had been doing that quite a bit while she was out. She noticed the crash cart in the corner of the room, the floor around it was littered with adhesive backing strips. A needle draw bottle of clear solution sat half empty to the right of the tangled cords of the defibrillator. The bottle read norepinephrin in dark black script and Yin knew it must have been bad.

Harvey finished her pulse but didn't let go of her hand. He seemed to be fighting some internal struggle as he bowed his head and closed his eyes for a moment. His eyes stayed closed as he whispered, the pain lacing his voice hurt her worse than the gunshot wounds and the tumble down that hill ever could.

"What were you thinking, Yin? Do you know how scared I was. I nearly lost you. You crashed three times before your vitals finally stabilized. Mayor Lewis told me about your note. So you thought you'd win either way, that it wouldn't matter if you lived or died. And what about the people who love you, what about Robin, _what about me?_ I can't...", he chocked and clutched her hand tightly. She could feel his tears dampening her skin and she struggled to lean forward, gritting her teeth against the pain as she put her good arm around him.

"It's okay, Harvey. I knew the risks when I left, and if I didn't care whether I lived or died, I wouldn't have bothered crawling to your door. I'm sorry I hurt you, but it was a risk I had to take. I couldn't just stand by and let them claim my grandfather's legacy. I wasn't trying to kill myself but if that was what it took to ensure it would not fall into their hands then I would pay that price. I swore on my mother's grave I would do everything in my power to protect it from my father and I meant every last word of that vow. Now that I have paid off the debt, they won't be able to take it from me. I can promise I won't put myself in that kind of danger again."

"I want to believe you, more than anything I want to believe you, but I can't. I've been watching you in these last few seasons as you ran yourself into the ground and pushed everyone away. My door has always been open to you but you never walked through it until you had no other choice. So many people want to help you but you keep pushing everyone away. Lewis was so angry when he saw Morris trying to get to you that it took Marnie hours to talk him out of burning the bastard at the stake in the town square like he was a medieval criminal. He managed to bolt, unfortunately, and no one has seen him in days.

There's a new manager taking over at the store but no word about where that slippery weasel went. Robin's been worried sick and hasn't left her house in days, except to visit you. Jodi and Sam stopped in and both seemed to be on the same brainwave as the Mayor about punishing Morris. Even Shane seemed to be more snarky and short with people than usual and I had to throw him out of here when he screamed at you for being such a careless, self-centered jackass, his words not mine.

In spite of every attempt you've made to shut people out, you touch those peoples lives in a way that they couldn't forget. You shine so brightly Yin, but yet you can't seem to see the light that follows you. We want to help you see that light Yin, I want you to see that light. You are not damaged goods or an emotional train wreck or any of the other monikers you bash yourself with. Your stronger than anyone I know in so many ways. If you have a weakness, then it would have to be how stubborn and determined you are to always be strong no matter how much you're hurting."

Yin felt tears burning at the corner of her eyes, she had not wanted them to care. She had tried so hard to be independent knowing full well how much danger was following her. Didn't they see, didn't Harvey see? This wasn't about being stubborn or appearing strong but an attempt to protect them. She flopped back against her pillow and stared at the ceiling as she let her tears flow.

"I wasn't pushing them away because I wanted to appear strong. I'm well aware of the dangers I face. I am also aware that securing the farm from hostile takeover will not end that danger. I've tried to keep my distance because I don't want to endanger others. You saw what kind of shape I was in when I got back from Camp Maria. I have no doubt that they wouldn't hesitate to do the same to anyone I get close to. Do you know how many of my nightmares featured you looking just as broken and bloody with Morris standing over you. No matter how much it hurts me to distance myself from you, that nightmare keeps popping up in my mind and it hurts so much worse. If there were magic that allowed me to erase memories, to reset the whole damn year just inside this valley I would do it. The last thing I want to do is drag you or anyone into the danger that seems to follow me. I can take any amount of pain or torture they can throw at me but if you got hurt", she fought to control the trembling in her voice, "I'd break, Harvey. I'd break into so many tiny shards that nothing would bring me back."

She felt his hand caress her cheek and turned to face his gaze. His eyes looked so bright in the sunlit room and his tears reflected like diamonds in the light. She was shocked as he lowered his head to her and gently touched his lips to hers. Before her better angles could warn her that this was exactly what she had been running from, what she'd been fighting to prevent, she wrapped her hand around the back of his head and drew him closer still.

His tongue darted across her lower lip and she opened her mouth in surprise. He pressed his advantage and plundered her mouth as his arms wrapped around her. She could barely keep up as their tongues dueled desperately with one another. It was a short battle before her need for air forced her to break the kiss. He pressed his forehead against hers as he gazed deeply into her eyes. "I feel that same fear of breaking every time you push me away. No matter what, I'll be in danger but I don't regret it if it means I can stand with you. Don't you see? I feel the same way about you that you feel about me. I want to protect you, make you feel safe and treasured, and above all else, loved. I love you Yin Ketaan, and I can tell that as much as you deny it and try to fight against it, you love me. Let me love you Yin. Let me be your strength when yours fails."

She couldn't fight it anymore, she could no longer resist the comfort and affection he offered. She let one last token plea fall from her lips. "Don't love me because you feel I would break without you. I never wanted to manipulate you and I would be devastated if that's the reason.."

"No Yin, I felt this pull to you long before my memory returned. Perhaps I've felt it since that first day at the egg festival. I know you weren't trying to black mail me for my affections and I never took your actions that way. Stop fighting me Yin, please?"

She sat up and wrapped both her arms around him, headless of the pain rippling through her shoulder. She felt that feeling she'd been trying so hard to bury, surged out through that hug and a new form of strength she had never known surge in. It was quite a few minutes before the protesting of her aching body became too persistent to ignore and he gently laid her down on the bed as he sat up beside her. He carded his hand through her hair as he reached toward the bedside table and offered her a pill.

"This will dull some of the pain and allow you to get some more rest. I don't think your quite ready to talk to your other visitors. I suppose I should feel guilty for tiring you so but I can't quite bring myself to. I'll be here when you wake, love."

She felt her cheeks flush with his term of endearment and was almost positive her chest would burst from the gentle warmth that had settled there. She wordlessly took the offered pill and he offered the straw to her lips again to help her down it. She felt his touch in her hair again as sleep over came her and she couldn't remember ever feeling so cared for. She may not be out of danger yet, but she was no longer alone. That feeling did scare her but it also hardened her will. If those bastards even considered going after him, no force of this world would spare them from her wrath.


	12. Bonus Alternate timeline

_**A/N: This is an alternate story line starting from just after Yin's capture by Morris. I abandoned it from the story because it was leading into deep conspiracy territory too quickly and the pacing didn't feel right. I also know all too well how easy it can be to leave loose ends in a story that indepth and I'm not under any illusions that I am that good a writer yet. I am working on year 2 but idk if I will release it as a continuation or a new story of it's own. I am taking a break either way to plan out more of it a head of time instead of just writing what I want to happen in the moment.**_

A few minutes later, two people entered the darkened room, quiet whispers helping her to pinpoint them in the dark. She called out into the darkness, praying to Yoba that it was someone who would help her. She took the gamble, thinking at the very least, they weren't Morris. They might be just as cruel but even if they were it would still be better than Morris using her.

"Please...help me. I'll do whatever you want me to, but please don't leave me here." Her voice cracked as her tears started to flow. The light flared on and standing before her were Shane and Sam. She cried in relief.

"Please, untie me."

"Holy fucking hell! Sam, help me lift the chair back up so we can cut her loose."

Sam look pale as he helped tip the chair back up. Shane used his box cutter and made quick work of the ropes binding her. She tried to hold the torn cloth of her shirt together to cover her chest but got fed up and turned it around so she was wearing it backwards.

"Thank you so much for cutting me loose. Is there another way out of this store room?"

"Just the fire exit but the minute you open the door the alarm will go off; learned that one the hard way during orientation." Sam smiled faintly at the memory before returning to the present.

"Ok. You two head back out the way you came in and act calm. I'll give you two minutes to find something to look busy with and then I'll make a break for it. I know both of you have questions but now is not the time. I don't know how long I have until he comes back and I don't want to be here for that." she wiped the tears from her cheeks smearing the blood from her cut. Both of them nodded and led her to the fire exit before turning and heading out the other door. Waiting the promised two minutes, she pushed on the bar and heard the alarm screeching as she bolted toward her farm. It was still very early in the morning so no one was out to see her mad dash across the town square and to the western path as if the hounds of hell were chasing her.

 _Friday 26th of Summer_

Yin slammed the door behind her barely breaking stride as she rushed to the back door and starting furiously pumping water into her bath basin. Pulling the curtain around it closed, she ran back inside long enough to grab a bottle of bleach and a plastic scrub pad. She dumped the rest of the bleach she had, about half a bottles worth, into the basin before she stripped down to her underwear and got in the cold water. She scrubbed ever inch of skin not covered by her underwear with that pad until she was raw, She got out an hour later, the water in the basin tinged rusty brown with blood. Her skin was red, inflamed, and bleeding with shallow cuts and scratches from her scrubbing. The only places not marred were her face, except where the cut was, the soles of her feet, the palms of her hands, and where her underwear had stayed on.

She was curled on her floor in front of the dark television, staring unblinking at the black screen but not seeing anything but Morris's beady eyes glaring back at her. For all that she had scrubbed, she still felt dirty, but she was in too much pain to make another bath. She ate a few cave carrots from her stores and the cuts stopped bleeding leaving thin angry red lines that criss-crossed her skin. A dark purple hand-shaped bruise was forming on her throat and breast where she was grabbed. She forced herself outside, after donning her nightgown, long enough to water and harvest her garden but just that small chore drained her energy. Heading back into her house she laid down on her bed and just waited for this day to end.

Shane mindless cut boxes and shoved product onto the shelves, anger coursing through his veins, speeding his work. Finding Yin in the back storeroom like that made his blood boil in outrage. She refuse to say what happened but he could guess. Joja was not a good place to work but he was only just realizing the true malevolence and evil hiding beneath that cheesy smiling flower logo.

He had convinced Sam to keep his mouth shut until they talked to Yin. If they did try to make a complaint, they'd no doubt be fired. _Or worse_ , a voice in his mind chimed in. Whoever had tied her up in that store room had to be pretty high on the food chain since that storeroom was usually locked tight. Only one perpetrator came to mind, Morris.

Working here for as long as he had, he'd seen a lot of shit he'd rather forget. The conditions were terrible if you got on the wrong side of management. There were workers here he'd never seen in town and he could only guess at what they were doing. Some didn't speak any English whatsoever and others looked as if they had spent more time in prison than out of it.

He and Sam had noticed the store room unlocked and had decided to investigate. He had a long standing bet with Sam that Joja was probably selling drugs on the black market. Sam was betting they were selling guns to Gotoro spies. Shane wouldn't have been surprised if it was both. That bet never did get settled but now he had worse things to think about.

Sam was barely able to put up the pretense of working. He'd been absently mopping the same spot for a good five minutes before he shook himself from his thoughts. He had been indulging Shane's paranoia when he'd made that bet with him a few weeks ago. Sure Morris was a jerk but he didn't seriously believe that Joja was involved in anything that awful. If asked a week ago what he really thought was in that storeroom he would have probably said pricey consumer electronics or something like that. The Joja mart in the valley was more a warehouse with a store attached. The store was an afterthought and not all that profitable but it didn't need to be.

Now, he shuttered in revulsion. Pelican town was a peaceful place or so he thought. They didn't even have a police force of their own. The last crime he'd ever heard about was a string of panty thefts a few years ago, which had been the scandal of the year, if the gossip was to go by. There was a monster living amongst them and he was afraid. He wished now, more than ever, that his father would come home.

He should just quit, that new guitar wasn't worth getting involved in whatever evil was dwelling here. But every time he closed his eyes, he saw Yin's prone body tied to that chair, shirt torn and tears streaming down her blood streaked face. He had to know the truth. He couldn't abide such evil in the town he now calls home. He put the mop back in the bucket and wheeled it back to the supply closet.

Shane walked into Gus's and bought two pints. He passed on his usual spot and sat at the booth near by. A few minutes later, Sam slid into the seat across from him. Shane wordlessly slid the second pint over to him, ignoring the disapproving glare Gus shot his way. Sam's birthday had been on the 17th so he was old enough to drink, if only barely, and Sam looked as if he needed it.

Sam took a sip and coughed as the burn slid down his throat. After his spell, he waited for Shane to speak.

"We need to go to Yin, first and foremost. I'm gonna flag down Harvey when he comes in and take him with us. Whatever we stumbled on in that room is far above our pay grade. I also think Yin should be the one to decide how to handle this. I suspect any complaints we make will be brushed aside at the least, and put a target on our backs at worst." Shane frowned, staring into his beer.

"You don't honestly believe this was corporate sanctioned, do you? I always knew Morris was rotten dirty scoundrel but I can't honestly believe that his actions were part of some bigger plot. If we go over his head, we can get that worthless piece of shit out of this town and possibly on a trip to Grampleton penitentiary." Sam whispered harshly, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself as much as Shane. Shane grabbed him by the collar, the material pulling taut as he leaned in close, whispering with barely contained frustration.

"You don't honestly believe they'll do the right thing anymore than I do. You know what would actually happen, if you use your damn head for more than gel sculpture! At worst, are complaints are brushed off and ignored. If we press the issue we fired and discredited if not _gotten rid of_. You may think I'm paranoid but I wouldn't put murder beyond them at this point. At best, they'll quietly transfer Morris somewhere else and do everything in their power to deny any wrong doing. They won't allow any charges to stick out of fear of bad PR and aren't above throwing exorbitant amounts of gold at the problem to make it go away. Now I can't say that what was done to her was sanctioned _per se_ , but I know they'll go to any lengths necessary to hide the truth." Shane let go of Sam's collar, pushing him back into his seat. He took a long swig of his beer, relishing the familiar burn before reminding Sam of another point a bit calmer than he had been moments before.

"Besides, as I pointed out before, we don't have the right to decide this without Yin's input. She deserves to make the final call considering she was the one who suffered the most."

Sam sighed, sipping his beer again becoming more accustom to the burn. "I guess you have a point there. You take Harvey with you and fill me in on the details later. I just don't think I could handle myself right now and I don't want to be in that kind of head space around an already traumatized girl. It's probably better if I have sometime to cool down and think anyway."

Shane nodded, glad that Sam wasn't as dense as he first believed. It took a lot of courage and self knowledge to know when to back down from a situation.

"I'll keep you in the loop as much as I can. In the mean time just keep your head down at work and keep an eye out on Morris. I don't think he'll go after Yin again but I wouldn't put it past the slimy rapist to be eyeing up other women in town."

Sam nodded wearily before getting out of the booth and walking back to his house, not in any mood to lose a game of pool to Sebastion.

Shane spotted Harvey as he entered the pub and got up, grabbing the sleeve of his sport coat and guiding him to the booth.

"Sorry to grab you like this but we need to talk." Shane motioned for two more drinks from Emily and she brought over another pint and a glass of red wine before moving on to other customers.

"What's up, Shane? You look like hell."

Shane filled him in on what had happened that day. When he had finished, Harvey was shaking in absolute rage. "That utter bastard! How could anyone do such a thing? I have half a mind to hunt Morris down and choke the ever-loving fuck out of him." Shane was shocked at the heat in his voice and the coarse language that rolled of Harvey's tongue. For as long as he'd known the man, he'd rarely seen him lose his temper and he had _never_ heard him swear. But as gentle and timid as Harvey might seem most of the time, Shane knew when pushed far enough he was a force to be reckoned with.

"I can totally get behind that sentiment but our first priority has to be Yin. I may not know her well but it doesn't take a genius to know she shouldn't be alone for too long."

Downing their drinks quickly, they left the bar, Shane straining to keep up with Harvey's longer stride. Shane and Harvey approached the farmhouse, Shane breathing heavily from the brutal pace he'd been forced to take to keep up with the doctor. Shane took a moment to catch his breath as Harvey knocked on the door. There was no answer.

"She's not answering, what should we do? I don't think barging in would be the best call but I don't like the idea of leaving her alone either." Harvey frowned as knocked for the third time. Shane thought for a moment, staring at the handle intently before deciding to try something he'd seen a delinquent friend of his do. Taking out his wallet, he fished out a Joja gift card he'd kept forgetting to throw out, the credit on it long since spent. Carefully wedging it in the crack of the door, next to the handle and frame, he wiggled it in an erratic circular motion. He heard a gentle click and felt the door give and open.

The red tinged sunlight bathed the room as their noses were overwhelmed by the smell of bleach and blood. Harvey pointed to the open back door and the large wooden basin surrounded by a plain blue shower curtain. The water was a rusty brown and the source of the unpleasant smell. A scrub pad on the floor nearby was stained a similar color with only a few stray fibers retaining their original green color.

Shane reached into the filthy water and pulled the cork stopper and watched in morbid fascination as the water drained away. He rinsed his arm off at the old-fashioned water pump before rising from the kneeling position he'd taken to empty the tub. He looked toward Harvey, who's eyes had gone wide in horror at the scene before him. His skin had gone ashen pale and he seemed to be fighting some unseen battle with himself.

Shane shook his shoulders, trying to snap him out of his shock. "Stay with me Harvey. Your gonna need your wits about you to help Yin." He nodded in acknowledgment and forced his body to unlock. He took a deep breath, ignoring the strong smell and focused on his training. When his eyes opened once more, they were empty and cold, his mind cleared of all thought but finding the patient and beginning treatment. It was what had gotten him through his ER rotations during his residency. He could process the bulk of this later when the danger had passed but he needed to remain focused. Both men reentered the house and went to the only room they hadn't checked. Shane took a steadying breath and opened the door to the bed room.

Yin had been in an out of a light dozing sleep when she heard knocking at her front door. She didn't bother to leave her bed, she wasn't in any shape for company, and she just wasn't ready to deal with what happened yet. Her body froze in shock when she heard the door click open. She grabbed her loaded gun from her nightstand and aimed it at the bedroom door as she sat up. She listened at they walked to the back door and heard muffled speech, though she couldn't make out what was being said. She heard the two pair of footsteps come closer to her door. The red light of the setting sun bleeding through the cracks of her bedroom door became obscured by shadows that twisted as they stretched across the wooden floor.

The door opened and she hissed. "Don't move another step or I'll shoot!"

Shane stood stock still as he stared down the barrel of a handgun, his only movement being to hold his arm out and stop Harvey from walking any further in.

"Yin, it's me, Shane. Can I move enough to turn on the light in here?" She nodded, but realized they may not be able to see her in the darkened room.

"Move very slowly. To your left there is a small stand with a lamp on it. Do not come any closer to me unless I give you precise direction to do so."

Shane moved slowly, keeping one hand up as he felt around in the dark for the lamp, his fingers lightly bumping against smooth porcelain. He followed the curve upwards and bent his elbow when his arm touched the edge of the lamp shade. Finding the knob he turned it, hearing two clicks before the room was bathed in yellow light. He slowly removed his arm and raised it back up with his other one, his face blanked of any expression.

Yin trembled and slowly lowered her gun, clicking the safety back on and placing it back into her nightstand. Harvey walked forward slowly, noting the redness and peeling of her skin and the thin scratches criss-crossing her body, disappearing underneath the hem of her long nightgown and under the sleeves and neckline as well. It took all his will not to gasp at the ugly purple bruise around her neck. It was a miracle her trachea hadn't been crushed.

"Yin let me take you back to the clinic. We need to rinse the bleach residue off your skin before the chemical burns gets any worse. I'm required by law to have a chemical rinse shower because of some of the more toxic substances and pathogens I could be forced to treat."

Yin nodded not trusting herself to speak yet. She really didn't want to go but with sunset fading into twilight she knew the monsters would be out soon. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if Harvey or Shane got hurt leaving her farm.

"Let me pack a few things and I'll go."

Yin packed a change of clothes, her brush, and her sword. She strapped her dagger and harness across her bicep and winced in pain as it rubbed against her inflamed skin. Shane's eyes widened in surprise at the weaponry but chose not to comment. Give what she'd been through, he wouldn't begrudge her an extra layer of security.

They were silent as they walked out of her farmhouse. Yin pulled her sword out and was scanning the surrounding as if she expected something to jump out at them. Shane had thought she was just understandably jumpy until the black shadowed beast charged them. She swung her sword with practiced easy and a grace he'd never known was possible. Just as the beast was slain she swung her sword behind her chopping of the wings of an approaching bat with the same ease one would swat a fly.

"We have to keep moving, once we get passed the first fence post we'll be safe from them. Shane, Harvey, when I say so make a run for it. I'm gonna use a bomb to blow them off our trail."

She pulled a black bomb out of her bag and struck a match on the bottom of her shoe. She wasted no time in lighting the fuse and hurling it at the twisting mass of shadows approaching them from the south. "Run for it!" They made a mad dash up the path, Yin bringing up the rear. She'd just passed the first fence post when the bomb detonated. The shock wave blew then off their feet, all three of them landing in a jumbled heap at the base of the second fence post. They watched as monster slime, wings and other assorted parts headed right for them only to bounce off the air with a flash of light before falling to the ground and disintegrating in black smoke.

"That is the barrier of Yoba, a powerful protective ward cast by the first monks of the Church of Scattered Seeds . It has protected pelican town and the greater valley for many millennia. My farm is one of the few places it's protection doesn't reach."

Harvey was the first to disentangle him self and make it back onto his feet. Shane wasn't too far behind and both of them helped Yin, careful of her irritated skin. They made it to Harvey's clinic without a word. Shane nodded to Harvey and turned walking south back to Marnie's ranch. "Take care of her Harvey, I need to get back before Marnie starts worrying too much."

A half hour later, Yin turned the shower off. Her skin was flaking and peeling in places like a bad sunburn. She heard Harvey's voice from the otherside of the wall. "Put on your under things then put on the paper gown. Now that you've removed the residue I'll need to put shielding lotion on your skin to prevent it from drying out any further."

She sighed, but complied with his demand. She exited the changing area and was led to exam room one again. Harvey commanded her to lay face down on the exam bench, and as she settled, he spread the cold lotion onto her back and legs. He gave the bottle to her and directed her to put it on the rest of her body and he stepped out of the room pulling the privacy curtain and closing the door behind him. She was glad he hadn't insisted on doing all of it himself. She was still not comfortable with close contact so soon after...

She choked back a sob and finished putting the lotion on herself. She curled back into a ball and tried to hold all the emotions inside of her. She heard the door open again and Harvey was back with his clipboard.

"I know you don't want to do this, especially not now, but I have to document as much as possible if you decide you want to press charges. Even if you don't want to, I need to make sure there isn't more damage that I couldn't detect because of your self inflicted injuries."

Yin stayed curled in her ball, trying to control her breathing. Harvey walked to the other side of the table and put a tentative hand on her shoulder. She flinched at the contact but he held his hand still and she slowly relaxed. He coaxed her to sit up and stared into her eyes. "I won't hurt you Yin, I promise."

He assessed her injuries in the harsh florescent lighting. The skin was irritated more from brush burn than the bleach exposure. He took note of the dark purple bruise around her throat, inwardly shuddering again at the amount of force that had to have been applied to leave such a darkening bruise. He noticed the edge of another bruise peaking out from the edge of her bra.

"Yin, can you lift up your bra enough for me to see the other bruise. I'll step back out of arms reach so you don't feel threatened. I won't look too long, just long enough to accurately document." He stepped back giving her ample room and she gently reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, trembling. She closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and slowly pushed the bra and gown down to her stomach. She couldn't bare to look at Harvey and turned her head away in shame. He told her she could cover herself again and she quickly pulled the bra and gown over herself, wincing in pain as the bruise was jostled.

Harvey slowly returned to his previous position beside the table. "The last part is just a few questions, the first one is important to answer because it will guide what treatment you might need in the near future." He closed his eyes, willing his emotions down. He did not want to ask this, she'd already been through so much in the last day and a half. But he had to know so that he could plan what further treatment she might need. He decided to be blunt in his question rather than fumble through finding polite wording. He considered this situation similar to pulling off a band-aid, better to do it fast than draw out the pain.

"Did Morris ejaculate inside you or penetrate you?"

She shook her head no, going green at the very thought of it. He grabbed the trash bin just in case she lost her stomach. Thankfully, she seemed to steady herself.

"He was just undoing my pants when he was interrupted by one of his workers. When I heard two people enter the room I took a gamble and called out to them for help. I'd never been so happy to see Shane and Sam in my life."

"I'm glad they were there too. I think that's enough for tonight. I have a guest cot you can sleep on, just give me a moment to fetch it from my apartment upstairs and I can set it up in here." She grabbed his arm before he could get up. I" don't want to be alone down here. If I grab those privacy screens and bring them up can I sleep upstairs?" She let go of his arm in favor of wringing her hand in nervousness. He smiled at her before grabbing the privacy screens himself and beckoned her to follow him.

Shane walked south toward the path that would lead him back to the ranch. He had a lot on his mind and almost didn't hear the quiet voice from Sam's window.

"Psst! Shane. Shane!" He turned his head, spotting Sam at the side window of his family's town house. He crept toward the window, keeping his footfalls silent, mindful of the late hour and sleeping inhabitants nearby.

"Is she going to be okay?" Sam whispered, a concerned frown marring his youthful face.

"It was probably for the best that you didn't come with us. She was in a pretty bad way. I won't go into detail since it isn't mine to tell but she's staying with Harvey tonight. I want you to promise me you won't go telling everyone what happened to her. The last thing she needs right now is the whole town gossiping about her."

"I'm not completely dense, Shane. I know she needs to have time to sort herself out and she won't be able to do that if she's bombarded with questions and speculation. It's just.." Sam sighed, brushing his fringe back in frustration. "I don't know what Yin will want to do but I just can't let it go. I can't stomach the thought of such a monster walking freely among us. Aren't you afraid, for Marnie, for Jas? I can't stop worrying about it." He put his elbows on the window frame, holding his head in his hands.

Shane understood his fear, he saw the way Morris gravitated toward Jodi when ever she was shopping. He was just a little to nice, a little too friendly, always getting just a little too close to her on the pretense of showing her a product or helping her load a heavy item in to her cart. Anyone with eyes could see Jodi's slight discomfort at his closeness. Anyone with ears could hear the nervousness in her laugh when Morris told her some slightly off color joke. It was awkward and uncomfortable to watch and he could only imagine how Jodi felt. The attack Yin went through framed those moments with Jodi in a much more dangerous light. He honestly didn't know what to tell Sam.

"The only thing we can do right now, until we get the full story from Yin, is watch out for the ones we care about. I think Jodi is pretty safe since she doesn't stay out after dark and doesn't wander to places where she's cut off from others. Morris isn't stupid enough to attack anyone in broad daylight with witnesses around. Jas doesn't go anywhere out of eyesight of someone, same as Vincent. I do worry about Marnie but she's tougher than she looks. If her lover found out anything had happened to her, he'd riddle Morris with so many arrows he'd be unidentifiable." Shane smirked as the image of Mayor Lewis pelting Morris repeatedly with arrows, tuning him into a pin cushion.

"That's fine for us but what about everyone else? I don't want anyone else to go through what happened with Yin. I don't think I could handle the guilt. Is there a way to discourage people from walking around alone after dark without it seeming suspicious?" Shane closed his eyes, conceding Sam's point but coming up blank in the ideas department.

"I don't know Sam. In any case, we're not going to figure out anything tonight. I have to be in early tomorrow so, at least for now, I can keep an eye on Morris. If anything comes up, I'll contact you. I'll also keep in touch with Harvey, though he won't tell me much since he won't want to violate Yin's trust."

"I suppose your right, Shane, but it doesn't make me feel much better. Get back to the ranch and get some sleep, you look like hell."

Shane made his way back to the path home, giving Sam the finger for his comment but Sam just stuck his tongue out before closing the window. _Cheeky bastard_ he thought but noticed there wasn't any vitriol behind it. He made his way home and once in his room, chugged a can of beer for a night cap and hoped for dreamless sleep.

 _Monday, 1st of Fall_

Yin sighed wearily, as she sat down on her front porch to rest. It was three in the afternoon when she had finally finished tilling, fertilizing, planting, and watering her massive fall garden. Now that she could craft quality sprinklers she wouldn't have to worry about watering it everyday or pay the exorbitant prices the travelling merchant demanded. Her rage mining had netted her more than enough material and her furnaces were burning almost nonstop to process it all.

She was doing better but she still had her share of bad days. The day she left Harvey's she had felt the gravity of everything crash down on her once more when she was alone. She tried to ride out the swirling depair and shame that gripped her but it had been too much. She dug out the wood box from her closet. Remembering what happened last time, she placed a single drop of the drug on her tongue. The bitter zing traveled through her body in slow pulsing waves. It wasn't the instant lightning of hard-lining but it numbed the ever-present constriction in her chest and stomach.

She had spent the first 3 days in the mine, heedless of the days luck. Her rage vented on the monsters to the point they ran from her. The monsters on her farm too, seemed more wary of approaching her after she spent the nights thinning their numbers. She hadn't been able to sleep much those first few nights. She still wasn't sleeping as well as she should be but with some small doses of Nova she could fake it well enough to avoid questions. Not that she was going into town more than she absolutely had to, preferring to avoid unnecessary contact. She focused all her energy on making enough to pay her debt knowing that as long as they could hold that over her she would be trapped.

Her other project had been to hide the journal. She didn't dare take it outside of the farm, not knowing if it was protected here by some form of magic. That would explain why they hadn't just trespassed on the property before she had come here to find it. She considered put it back in the shrine but that was a rather obvious place and she wasn't certain enough of her magic theory to risk it. She didn't have any shred of doubt that Morris would just steal it if he could. He'd proved himself capable of much worse, after all.

She had skipped the dance of the Moonlight Jellies, much to Robin's disappointment. Yin couldn't bring herself to tell her what had happened. Shane and Sam had given her space but she knew they were waiting for her to tell them what was going on. She really didn't want to have that conversation but she owed them that much. She had a feeling they wouldn't like her decision to not press charges, particularly Sam, but she hoped Shane would understand.

She had been raped twice in her life. The first time as a fresh runaway, alone in a dangerous part of town. She was lucky she hadn't been killed, but she could admit now that part of her wished she had been, at the time. She eventually got her vengeance on that bastard but it had left her feeling hollow and unsatisfied. His death didn't take away what he had done, but what was done is done.

The second time she was raped was at Joja Corp's telemarketing center. She worked for them for almost two years before the incident. She had been forced to work late the week before Winter Star so she could afford gifts for Devon, Sasha, and Remmy, while still making her debt payments. She wanted them to have a good holiday morning, to forget the hardships of street life and, for a moment, just be normal kids opening presents.

She had noticed that her new manager had been taking an unusual interest in her for a few months but she tried to brush it off. She had told herself that he was just staring because she looked like someone he knew, she was rather plain looking and that had happened before. She started seeing him everywhere but tried to tell herself it was just coincidence. She tried talking to him, thinking maybe he was just the awkward shy type. He seemed cagey, but otherwise nice enough, he'd even buy her the occasional coffee or her favorite smoothie from the cafe across the street. She usually tried to reciprocate in kind with a bagel or pastry from the bakery on the corner that she knew he liked. He had seemed like a potential friend. Perhaps, that's why what he did had hurt so much.

It was 7 o'clock and she had five more files to update. Shouldn't have taken her more than a half hour. Steven, her manager, was staying late as well and had brought her a smoothie from the cafe. She politely thanked him and returned to her work. She had found it odd that he didn't choose to get her hot chocolate, or coffee on such a cold evening but didn't want to seem ungrateful.

The lid had been loose and she had almost spilled it on herself before clamping the lid back down. She finished the files taking occasional sips from the fruity drink. It was 7:45 when she finally finished her work. She'd been spacing out which had slowed her down some. She thought she might have been coming down with the office virus. In the hallway outside her office she felt her legs weakening. She felt like she was swimming against the current as she tried to make it to the door.

Steven noticed her distress, probably had been waiting for it, though she didn't know at the time. He carried her to his office and she began slipping in and out of consciousness. She remembered bits and pieces of what he'd done. The pain as he filled her without any preparation. She couldn't move because of whatever he'd given her and he used her body relentlessly. When he was finally done he left her in that office.

It wasn't till 11pm that the drug he'd used wore off enough to allow her to walk without wobbling. She used the tissues on the desk to clean off her face and chest, going as far as dousing herself with the hand sanitizer. Steven had used a condom, at least, probably to protect himself from having to pay child support in the future. She considered pressing charges but she knew she'd never win it. It was well known in Zuzu that rape charges were rarely investigated much less brought to trial. In Zuzu, it might technically be illegal to rape someone but the burden of proof was on the victim. The attitude of most people toward victims made it even more daunting and if the man accused had an equal or higher standing to the woman, then don't bother.

She knew she didn't have a snowball's chance in hell if she tried to press charges. She'd probably be laughed out of the police station for trying. She kept her mouth shut and pretended everything was fine. She faked a smile as she watched Devon, Sasha and Remmy open their presents and squeal with delight. She went back to the office and worked as normal and fought down the bile that rose in her throat when she heard Stevens voice in the hallway. He'd gotten what he wanted and was no longer following her. She sure as hell wasn't going to drink or eat anything he gave her. She tried so hard to just move on but she couldn't.

She laid her grandfather's letter and the gun on her dresser in Stetson's trailer. She felt so hollow inside and knew she needed to make a choice. She pulled a coin out her pocket and smiled thinly. She was so dead inside that either option would be fine with her. "Heads wheat, tails sickle" She flipped the coin and watched as it spun on the tile floor, after what seemed an eternity the coin fell, heads up. She wondered what Warwick would have predicted her luck was for that day?

The coin had spoken, and she packed up what little she owned, kissed the kids and Stetson goodbye, and used her last pay check to buy a bus ticket and have some start money.

She still wasn't sure she had made the right decision that night. Either way, she had made her choice. She vowed that if she failed it wouldn't be because she didn't try. Standing up she grabbed her sword, some foraged summer grapes, and two warp totems. Raising the mountain one aloft she made her way to the mines. She was at level 95 and she was determined to make it to 100 tonight.

It was 9:30 when she finally made it to the 100th floor. She opened the treasure box, expecting another piece of armor or a new weapon. She was confused when instead she found a strange purple star shaped fruit. She had used up her grapes getting here, and she decided to try the strange fruit in hopes that it would heal some of the more annoying gashed and bruises that littered her body. It was strange how monster damage and self inflicted wounds could be healed this way but the bruises Morris had left on her were only just starting to lighten in color and fade.

The fruit was sweet and tangy with a slight bitter aftertaste. After she finished the berry she felt her body collapse and shake of it's own accord. Had it been poisonous, she wondered. She felt energy pouring into her, surrounding her. Her vision was tinged purple and she was floating off the ground where she had collapsed. There was a blinding flash of light and she collapsed back onto the cold stone floor with a light _thump_.

She got up and noticed how much better she felt. It wasn't just that she felt healed, she felt _alive._ What ever this fruit was, she needed to find more of it. She felt as if she'd been reborn and could feel the small boost in her energy reserves. It was an incredible experience that the purest Nova couldn't replicate. She felt as if she could go for another ten levels but decided not to get too cocky. She held her warp totem aloft and traveled back to her farm. She'd test her new might on home turf before chancing another mining disaster.

 _Sunday 7_ _th_ _of Fall_

Yin's week had been one of the most productive she'd ever had. After her experience with stardrop fruit she had decimated the monster population of her farm with her new found strength. The bastards were running from her on site, the few that had survived and remembered her rampage. She'd even got back inside with time to spare.

She decided to spring for the house upgrade that Robin had been peddling way back when she first arrived. She justified the cost in the same way she did her tool upgrades. Berries and forage were okay, but they didn't heal all that much. If she could cook actual dishes then she'd be able to get farther in the mines per trip. She could use the cheaper things she fished and standard quality produce she grew and make it go farther than the small profit she made from selling them directly.

She celebrated it's completion with Robin yesterday by cooking a nice breakfast and binging a show Robin had been trying to get her to see for ages. They had a good time and Robin even complimented her cooking. She was some how wrangled into visiting the aerobics class Robin took but she wasn't under any pressure to join. Today would not be nearly so relaxed.

She was as ready as she thought she ever would be to tell Shane, Sam, and Harvey what had happened that awful night. She sent them all letters, ostensibly, as an invitation to a house warming party but she made sure they could read between the lines and knew the true purpose.

It was ten am when Harvey arrived, handing her a bottle of wine as she greeted him at the door. She put it on the dinning table which also had a small spread of snacks and drinks. Shane and Sam arrived at the same time. Shane had brought some milk from one of Marnie's cows and put it in the fridge. Sam brought a case of Joja cola he'd stolen a couple of days ago. He didn't seem too bothered by his crime and Yin couldn't blame him. From what she'd heard, Morris had been on his own sort of rampage after her escape. His behavior got the attention of corporate and after a visit from them his tantrum stopped. She suspected they suggested _terminating_ him.

"Everything finally settle down in Joja mart? I heard Morris has stopped barking at the workers quite so loud." Yin asked as she and the three men seated themselves.

"You'd think his voice would sound a lot more muffled with how far up his ass his head is. Thankfully corporate put a muzzle on the sleazy bastard." Shane said, a wry smile flirting his lips.

"Corporate may have muzzled him for now but I get the feeling something else is going on, something much worse than our original guesses." Sam held a clip board with what seemed to be a rather long itemized list of letters and number with no discernible pattern. It was a shipping manifest and he'd highlighted multiple blocks of code. "The manifest itself is in some sort of code but I roped Sebastion into doing some leg work for me and he was able to get the cipher off of an outdated Joja server in Bolenfrey. This block right here", pointing to the first highlighted section on page 2, "is their drug selection for the week. They shipped quite a bit of "poppy mash" to a lab north of here, and the rest is a rather extensive selection of finished product they dispersed through other warehouse on the coast, presumably to ship around the globe."

Shane grabbed the bottle of wine from the table and poured himself a mug, taking a long drought before slamming it down on the table.

"Pay up Sam. I told you it was drugs." "You're only partially right so don't go planning you binge night just yet. See this block on page four, that's their weapons list. See that line right there, that's a MRO-A rocket launcher, a nasty little piece of work from Rostec. It's a bit of a one shot pony, but you don't wanna be anywhere near that pony when it kicks, cause that's 72.5mm of death waiting for you. Those shipments aren't going off continent though. The warehouses they're going to seem to be out in the middle of bumblefuck nowhere. If they're dispersing them from these warehouses then it's a long fucking drive for any prospective buyer. The only ones within 60 km of any airport or sea port is Stardew itself and one near Fort Gemini. If they were supplying either side of the war it wouldn't make sense to have them so far out in the boonies."

"Well it's not like the Republic is condoning these sales, whoever their selling to, so they could just have no choice but to keep the operations off the beaten path. It's something to keep under out hat for now."

"It's the seventh page that was the hardest to crack, even with the cipher. Notice how it has two columns where the product name should be. The first column just translates into numbers. The second column is what stumped me the most, it's just a list of names. I thought it might have been bribe amounts but I don't think even Joja could pay out that much to people and still be solvent. I looked up a few of the names and they all turned up as missing people, mostly from the far east. Zhu Lang, for example, went missing from her school 3 years ago. She's unique because I found her again in a police report from Zuzu city. She was one of the girls they rescued from that brothel in midtown. I nearly threw up when I read what that girl had gone through."

Shane himself looked quite pale when he heard that last part, he downed the last of his drink. Yin took the bottle away from him and poured everyone a glass before she drank directly from the bottle. The weapons were a new one but she known about the drugs since she became a nova addict. She'd long suspected human trafficking but she didn't have direct proof. The working girls she'd met in passing at various social gatherings never talked about the numbered tattoos on their lower backs and she never press the issue.

"I'd known a few of the girls in that bust. Zhu Lang was one of the luckier ones, if you call that lucky. While some girls were trained to attend parties and be pretty arm candy for wealthy socialites, most of the girls weren't nearly so well kept. Most were housed in cages like animals, only letting them out to be _used_. They wanted to maximize their profit so they don't give them much in the way of basic things like medical care. They usually were naked unless a client wanted them to wear some particular piece of fetish gear or costume. Most of the girls in the bust ended up in state mental wards or died off from their poor condition. Pregnancy wasn't an issue because they were never given enough food to sustain one. The girls that didn't go of the rails mentally from the trauma were treated and released. Being so far from home with nothing but the donated clothes and no grasp of the native language, most ended up back in prostitution to survive. I knew a few of the girls who worked Laurel Drive." Yin could feel Sam and Shane's questioning gaze on her. Both of them were probably asking how she'd come to associate with those kinds of people. She glared at the table and pointedly ignored the unspoken questions. She needed more booze before she could open those particular wounds. She took another swig from the bottle of wine.

Harvey's face had become like stone during the discussion. Yin could see his hands clenching into a tight fist underneath the table. "I was half way through my residency at Zuzu medical when the story hit the papers. I had been the one on-call in the ER the night before it hit the press and saw some of the injury reports in detail. Two of the girls who hadn't been moved yet because of the severity of their trauma died that night. Thankfully, I wasn't the one to handle the bulk of the cases directly since the ones who could be saved had already been admitted. Doctor Jenkins was the one on-call the night of the bust. He was never the same after that."

She could see the green of Harvey's eyes cloud with tension as he fought some deep internal struggle. Doctor Jenkins, the name seemed familiar to her. Her eyes widened when she realized he'd been in the paper a few months later as the defendant in the John slayer murders. He had been killing men who frequented certain brothels in the city. Yin took Harvey's clenched fist from under the table and held it between her own, gently massaging the straining tendons coaxing him to relax in the only way she could think of. His hand relaxed as the group went silent.

"I'm gonna be unloading a bit here so bare with me. I don't usually drink this much and I might need some redirection to stay on topic. You must understand first and foremost, my father is a corporate man, through and through, to the point of obsession. He's done unspeakable things to get to the station he's at in Joja's power structure, but his dream, his goal, has always been to become one of the elite thirteen. It's been that way since he first started working for them. Everything he has ever done has been with that goal in mind, including his marriage to my mother.

He married her when she was young and stupid seducing her and marrying her in the span of six months. He didn't love her, so why would a corporate drone with high ambitions go to such lengths? The simple answer is greed. His ultimate goal was to get his hands on the farm and give it to Joja with a big fucking red bow on it. My mother had thought she loved him but as the years went by he slowly started to show how much of a monster he was. I was conceived on their wedding night and thought I grew up in a normal home, unaware of the increasing derision, degradation, and abuse my mother was forced to endure. All if it, in attempt to get her to persuade her father to hand over the deed. So much suffering for a pile of dirt out in the sticks.

He got increasingly abusive but mother hid it well, especially from me. She grew to resent me and love me in equal measure as the abuse got worse. I was the reason she couldn't leave him. She tried to commit suicide when I was seven after Grandpa passed on. I'd just come home from school and found her on the kitchen floor. I walked up to her and hugged her, the gun still pressed to her head. I was scared out of my mind but I couldn't leave her. She broke down and cried, telling me everything. Grandpa's death had been too much on her.

I understood her better from that experience but our relationship was far from healthy. I was there for her when the abuse got too much for her. I just listened, hugged her, told her I loved her and felt fucking useless the entire time. I couldn't keep her going forever and she succeeded where she failed four months after my 13th birthday. Six months later, I split, not able to take the full force of abuse she had endured for years. I knew where the deed to my grandfather's farm was all along but I never told anyone, not my mother and certainly not my father. Grandfather had made me swear not to. He had been the only one in my family who seemed stable and honest. He was more of a parent than the rest of my family had ever been. I took that promise very seriously, even over the life of my mother.

I'll spare you the stories from my time on the streets. I became a nova addict and in order to feed my habit started working for the devil corporation I'd been running from. I hit rock bottom and seriously considered going out the same way my mom did. I also considered coming here. It was funny, my decision to come here or die wasn't some list of pros and cons. I was too dead inside at that point to really care either way. High as a kite on nova, I let a fucking coin toss decide my fate. I still have days where I wonder if that coin made the wrong choice but I'm committed now" She took a long drought from the wine bottle, pouting a little when no more of the lovely liquid crossed her lips. She was going somewhere where with this, oh yeah. that fucking weasel Morris.

"When Morris captured me, he did so under _orders_. He was a messenger for the higher ups, possibly, one of the thirteen. They were willing to clear my debt, eliminate my father, and keep me swimming in nova in exchange for an artifact that they believe is on my farm somewhere. Morris's attempt at play time was not part their plan. He was promised a _bonus_ , most likely one of their more damaged sex slaves. I doubt they'd give him much more considering how rough he is with his toys. I suspect the visit from corporate was a part reigning him back in and part telling him where to collect his prize."

Sam look positively ill, and Shane didn't look much better. Harvey was staring at her like a family heirloom mirror hanging precariously over a cliff. He stood up knocking his chair over with a loud clatter and wrapped his arms around her. She felt the wind knocked out of her as he pulled her to standing but wrapped her arms around him in return. She could feel the dampness from his tears on the top of her head.

"I'm sorry you've suffered so badly. You never deserved any of that, never had any choice in who your family was. You do have choices now, you have friends now. I know there's still a lot your keeping bottled up but I promise I'll help you however I can. Please come to me if you feel like that again, I don't want to lose you."

He loosened his grip but didn't quite let go. She looked up into his eyes and felt a strange sort of fluttering settle in her stomach. She could get lost in those forest green eyes which seemed so warm and inviting. His arms wrapped around her felt like warm blanket against a cold night. She broke the hug, and turned away from that all too alluring gaze. It wasn't something she felt she deserved and if she let him get too close she would break.

Sam shifted uncomfortably at the display, toying with the untouched mug in front of him, the liquid swirling in the cup. Shane seemed lost in thought as he stared of into space like he was trying to figure out a puzzle. He closed his eyes as if to block out any distraction before opening them again, pinning Yin with a hard stare.

"Did they tell you what the artifact was? More importantly, do you plan on taking them up on their offer?"

Yin sighed, buying herself some time from answering by munching on a cracker from the tray. She hadn't seriously considered taking the offer but it was tempting. It would be an easy answer to all her problems but she knew from experience that the easy choice was rarely the good one. She swallowed the cracker and met Shane's gaze.

"They did mention what the artifact was, but I'm not going to go into detail. If they suspect you know anything about it they may take steps to silence you. The less you know the less interest they'll have in you. As to your second question, I honestly don't know. On one hand, I wouldn't have to live in fear of losing everything I've earned. Wouldn't have to fear my father's shadow looming over every move I make. I could leave all of that behind and truly start fresh. On the other hand, I know I can't trust Morris as far as I could throw him. I wouldn't put it passed him to claim he just stole the artifact from me in an attempt to curry more favor.

I also have to wonder what their extreme interest in the artifact is. The offer they put on the table is exceedingly generous and suggests there's much more to this item than meets the eye. I also don't know if the interest in the artifact is unanimous amongst the thirteen or a pet project of just a small portion of it. If the latter is true then I could be walking right into a much greater power struggle amongst the thirteen and that's the last place I want to be.

In the end there's not enough information to make a wise choice. I have until spring to acquire the item, so I have some time, but not nearly as much as I'd need to fully investigate it on my own. Regardless of my ultimate decision, my first goal has to be to earn enough to pay off that debt. It's the only thing I'm focused on since it's the largest thing their holding over my head. If I can pay it off before the deadline then they won't be able to use it as a bargaining chip."

Shane nodded, "You make some fair points. I think it's safe to say that you won't have to dig for info by yourself. Sam, can you get Sebastion fully on board without bringing up Yin's attack? I suspect he'd be quite useful in combing the network for some of the information we need. I think part of the mystery might be figuring out where those weapons are going to. I'll talk to some of my old contacts in Zuzu. It's a long shot since I've been out of touch since... since my brother's death."

Yin could hear the slight break in his voice. She knew it was a sore spot for him but she never pressed him about it. She only knew because she'd heard Marnie mention it in passing. She put a hand on his shoulder in a show of comfort. He startled slightly but made no move to back away from her touch.

"If it's too soon, don't push yourself farther than you can handle. You can still be useful without exceeding your limits and reopening old wounds from Zuzu. Keep an eye on Morris like you have been, try lifting another manifest if you can avoid detection. You also might be able to get useful information out of the temp workers if you keep an open mind. You don't have to be a rising social butterfly but a little bit of networking could net you quite a bit of useful information."

Shane nodded grimly, he knew his brother's contacts were a shot in the dark. Yin's suggestion seemed more promising and allowed him to avoid the sensitive topic all together. It would be easier, but his gut instinct told him Zuzu had more answers. He'd learned to trust that feeling the hard way over the years. He'd ignored that instinct once and now his brother and sister-in-law were six feet under. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

Sam piped in, sensing the tension in the room. He had nodded to Shane's question but was otherwise lost in silent contemplation until now.

"I want to know why they have such an interest in the valley. Harvey, you have pretty good standing in town. Maybe you can keep and ear out for any back story on Joja mart. George will probably be more than willing to spill every dirty detail he knows if you catch him in the right mood. I know you don't have much spare time running a medical practice, but if you can get to the library look up Joja in the news archives. Ideally, we need to construct a timeline of their activities from when they first came here to present. I'll also put that as a point of browsing for Sebastion or myself to look up but Pelican town doesn't have the funding to digitize their records so I'd be lost trying to find anything in there." Sam rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly.

It wasn't a secret that Gunther wasn't a fan of Sam. Gunther had been nearly apocalyptic after a prank went too far and had damaged three shelves of books. Their were still dried drops of paint on some of them if you looked for it.

Yin smiled as she watched Harvey's posture straighten. He nodded tightly, his body language broadcasting a powerful sense of determination. "Well I think we all have a good starting point. I want to thank you so much for all you're doing for me. It means a lot to have the support. But please don't take any unnecessary risk. It would break me if any of this got you guys hurt." Yin frowned, worry crossing her face.

"We're grown men, we can handle ourselves. Don't you worry little lady." Shane said in an exaggerated cowboy accent, smirking at the end and tipping an imaginary hat. Yin didn't dignify him with a response and just pushed him off his chair playfully. Shane knew how much she hated the damsel in distress shtick in media and was purposely pushing her buttons, _ass hat._

The serious atmosphere broken, they played a game of poker, as suggested by mister cowboy. They used the rest of the food as chips and Yin smiled in victory at the end of the game as she bit into a pastry from her massive pot. It was a fun evening and one she'd remember for a long time to come.

 _Sunday 14th of Fall_

Shane resisted the urge to cough as he exited the train and stepped into the crowded terminal. Heading up the stairs to street level, he turned north, heading to Sallenger's bar & Grille. He had made contact with his brother's friend and former business partner Allen Grenton and agreed to meet up for lunch.

Shane could hear the shouting and booing as he entered the riotous pub. The large screen tv in the bar was blaring a Tunnelers game. He found his way out of the rowdy bar section and toward the more civilized grill crowd. The energy here was still too upbeat and energetic, with a heavy techno-beat making the floor rumble and the walls pulse. It wasn't unbearably loud but he could tell someone had cranked up the base to maximum capacity.

He found a booth as far from the speakers as he could manage while still being in sight of the entrance. He ordered himself a sparkling water, needing to be sober for his talk with Allen and hating every goddamn minute of it. He promised himself a proper blitzing after he got done here.

"Don't bother with the craft beer here, it's just generic piss water with spices thrown in it from what I've heard." Shane looked up from his menu as Allen leaned against the wall. "A pity that, I was looking forward to having something with a little more bite than my usual standards. Even better if it's on your tab." Allen frowned as he sat down, glowering a bit as he looked over his menu. "I'm paying for lunch but don't go overboard on me. Revenmore industries isn't what it used to be."

Shane sighed, hearing the unspoken _since your brother died_. "I've read in the paper their getting a pretty generous offer from Joja's military research branch."

"Oh it looks quite generous on paper but you know Joja doesn't make those kinds of offers with charity in mind." Allen's frown deepend, causing the lines on his face to become more pronounced.

The waitress arrived to take their orders and fetch drinks. Shane had been tempted to order one of the cheaper craft beers just to get something alcoholic in his system but resisted ordering a lemon spritzer. Allen had no such qualms and ordered a whisky sour straight-up. Shane eyebrows rose up nearly to his hairline. Allen had been as much of a nerd as his brother, never one for the strong stuff when Jim was alive.

Shane took a really good look at the man and began noticing the changes from the man he used to know. His hair was starting to grey at the temples, his clean-shaven face highlighted the frown lines marring his one smooth jaw, but it was the eyes that changed the most. His once warm cheerful chocolate eyes were muddy and dim. They had a hard, wary gleam in them that Shane usually only saw in the mirror.

"It seems they've been making a lot of generous offers lately. Borris and Yaxon caved in to them just a few weeks ago. I also have a friend who had the misfortune of receiving one of their _generous offers_."

Their orders arrived and Shane dug into his jalapeno cheddar nachos as Allen focused on his salmon side with lemon and chive. They ate in silence and Shane took notice of the four men in suits that took the booth behind Allen. Shane had a feeling they weren't here for the craft beer and Tunnelers broadcast. He caught Allen gaze and then returned his focus to the group behind him nodding ever so slightly as to not draw attention to them.

Allen took the hint and used the reflection off his fork to get a look at them without turning around. They finished the rest of their meal in silence before leaving a tip and walking up to the register to settle their bill. Shane borrowed Allen's reflection idea, using the edge of the polished metal counter next to the til to spy on their company. They were eyeing them with interest and Shane had to fight the maddening urge to stare right back at them.

Allen finished paying the bill and they silently walked out through the bar entrance. "Do you remember what he told you after he got married? We might get more privacy there. Try to lose your tail and meet me at 6." Shane nodded, not daring to speak, that feeling he had before Jim died had intensified. He grabbed Allen's shoulder before he could turn. "Don't follow the crooked arms." Allen looked shocked for a moment, before a smirk lit up his face and he nodded. Spotting their new _friends,_ Allen took off at a light jog heading further north. Shane took a more sedate pace to the west glancing back to see two of the four suits following him.

Shane didn't speed up his pace as he casually whistled the Tunnelers fight ditty. After the walking for five blocks he turned into his favorite strip club, The Lace and Pearl. A thick scent of cigar smoke, cheap liquor, and sex wafted over him and he lost the battle with his lungs and coughed violently for a moment before he adjusted to the toxic air. The same techno beat that had been at reasonable levels at the grill was blaring out of the huge tower speakers next to the stage. A fog machine at the back billowed with mist as the dancer on stage swayed her hips, strings of beads swaying off her bikini top as her breast jiggled in the too thin material.

Shane took the front row and removed his hoodie as he watched as the suits entered the bar. The brunette guy looked uncomfortable but the blond one took no notice and scanned the crowd. Not spotting him without the hoodie, they searched the men's room briefly before whispering into their sleeves and walking out of the club, the harsh afternoon light making the beads on the dancers top shimmer like star lights. Shane stayed for two more hours and enjoyed the show. He left with a pleasant buzz and 3000g poorer, eyeing the evening pedestrians before turning a corner and heading north.

He was shivering slightly as he approached his destination. He'd ditched his hoodie at the strip bar and was sorely regretting it as the early evening chill settled into his exposed skin but it was the price of losing his tail. An abandoned church loomed over him as he navigated his way through a dilapidated and overgrown grave yard. The stones were too faded to discern from the constant pounding of the elements and decades of neglect. If he was the superstitious sort then he would be a little intimidated by such a place, but he felt no fear as he deftly navigated the tangled twisted roots and shrubs. The canopy of leaves above him glowed like a dying fire in the last rays of the setting sun, the branches dancing lazily in the chilled breeze.

He made it to the far side of the dilapidated church and crawled in through a broken window. Broken shards of stained glass littered the ground as he navigated the rotting moss-covered pews toward the pulpit in front and the rusted metal door behind. He noticed the lack of cobwebs and dusty footprints in front of the door and figured Allen must already be in the basement.

Shane descended the wobbly staircase and followed the faint glow of candlelight coming from beyond the wall divide. Allen was sitting on a slightly rusted folding chair with another set up across from him. Shane took a seat and Allen pinned him with a stare before sighing and putting his head in his hands. "Why are you really here Shane? I knew Joja had spies following me but they usually only have two on my tail. Just what have you been digging into to get their interest?"

"A friend of mine was extended a generous offer of her own from Joja, but it didn't seem like their usual acquisition and land grabs. In fact, part of the deal included being able to keep the property with some other concessions in return for some sort of artifact. She wouldn't tell me what it is, but she's no inventor or scientist so I don't know what she could have that would have captured their interest. It just doesn't fit."

Allen got up and paced, kicking up a cloud of dust from the floor as he walked. Shane resisted the urge to sneeze and swatted the dust in the air away from his face. "While the majority of the companies focus has always been tech and acquisition, there have been rumors that they have been taking more of an interest in the occult. It seems unusual to us but it's not unprecedented. Thirty-five years ago they were big investors in the church of Yoba and were rumored to have the ear of the High Priest himself. When Amadeus Solheim died and his son took the first seat of the thirteen, their interest shifted. I suspect that a splinter cell emerged at that time and have been quietly continuing the research Amadeus had been obsessing over."

"Holy fucking hell, Allen, how many pots do they have their fingers in anyway? I can see the tech aspect but occult too? Why would they be concerned with such superstitious nonsense.", Shane sneered. He had always been doubtful of the church and all it's mystic bullshit. His brother's death had cemented his position as an atheist. Part of the reason he was less than popular in Pelican town was because of his lack of faith.

He wasn't as hostile toward the faithful as some atheist he knew but he didn't react well to recruitment attempts. After he moved into Marnie's, he got into it rather bad with Caroline after she tried to pressure him to go to Sunday services. He tried to be nice in his refusal but she just wouldn't fucking quit until one bad night at the saloon when he'd had enough and lashed out at her. The whole town gave him wide berth after that. Pierre glared at him on the rare occasion he entered the man's shop.

"As many as they think might give them power, probably." Allen answered, a bitter pitch in his voice as he sat back down on the metal chair. "Look I don't know whether they believe or not but that's beside the point. If their dumping resources into it, nothing good will follow. As much as you detest faith and mysticism, it does draw in quite a following. Money can motivate people to a certain extent, but religiously devoted followers are much more malleable and cheaper if properly motivated. If they had enough of those kinds in their ranks they could easily manage a coup d'etat against the Queen herself."

"If that's their aim, why isn't the Queen and her court intervening? She has to be aware of their motives or at least suspicious of the power their gathering if rank and file schmucks like us could guess at it."

"I find that worrying as much as you do, Shane. I don't think she's completely oblivious but it's very probable that she's limited in what she can do because of the resources she's committed to the Gotoro war. The thirteen might be staying their hand for the same reason. With our forces stretched as they are, they don't want to risk giving the Gotoro a weak point to exploit. I suspect after the war is when they'll make their move."

Shane got up and did his own pacing. All of this was worrying but it wasn't getting him closer to any of the answers he was looking for. He pondered Allen's words when it came to devoted followers, it was a motive but it felt incomplete. He looked at the dilapidated alter in front of their chairs, studying the surprisingly unblemished wood of the Yoba symbol.

He felt a small tug in his chest, like a thin thread of string trying to tug his heart out and he lurched forward. His hand grabbed the base of the wooden symbol and violent coughing fit racked his body. Allen stood up, alarm sweeping his features but Shane waved him back. The fit had stopped and in his uncoordinated spasms he'd noticed a small hole open up in the center of the wooden cross.

He reached inside and felt the edges of a sharp object within. He carefully pulled the item out and was awestruck at the strange pink crystal glowing softly against the low light of the room. He had not been careful enough, and blood slowly welled from his sliced thumb. A single drop beading down the crystal and nestling into the juncture of the three points. A bright flash emitted from the crystal blinding both of them for a moment before fading.

"What the hell was that!" Allen shouted, slowly stepping back from Shane. The crystal turned black and dissolved but his hand was swirling with a strange pink and grey aura for a brief moment before fading from view. The cut on his thumb closed and the skin looked completely unmarred as if the injury had never happened.

Shane felt his legs going weak from his shock and he sat down on the metal chair before they could give out on him. His heart was thumping in his chest and a peculiar tingling sensation was running through his nervous system. He focus on his breathing as the tingling faded and the world stopped tipping precariously.

"I don't know what happened there but that could be what Joja is after. I may not believe in the occult and neither did Jim, but he sometimes speculated that our current technology was nothing compared to some ancient cultures. His college anthropology teacher gave him flack for it but he was firm in his hypothesis. I believed him even though I couldn't understand half of what he was going on about."

Allen paced in agitation before his eyes widened. "Project Starshard Ascension, why didn't I see it! I'll spare you the details but essentially it was a form of energy he'd discovered in the ruins of Graymoor that could alter DNA and make those under it's effect better. It makes a human faster, stronger, smarter, and more agile over the course of a few months. It also slows the rate of oxidation stress on the body. He theorized with enough tinkering it could become a powerful miracle serum that would kick off the next level of human evolution. The crystal we found of it didn't have much energy left and he failed to collect a good sample before the fall rains made the structure collapse. He swore he would find a way to replicate it. He failed countless times, but he couldn't let it go.

Eventually the shareholders cut him loose from the company claiming he'd gone mad. I looked over the research, what little he left behind and I don't think he was. The trouble was, Joja was aware of his research too. I think they engineered his dismissal from the company he started so they could get him on board with them. Trouble with that, he wasn't willing to play ball after they had swindled your parents out of their retirement property. They'd shot themselves in the foot on getting any thing from him."

Shane could feel the memories of that horrible night running though his mind like a mobius strip. Their crumpled bodies bleeding into the crushed dashboard, Jas's inconsolable wailing and his own choked sob and bleeding gashes. Jas had been bruised but her child seat had protected her well. A detail from his memory stood out from his mind this time that he didn't notice before. He had been holding Jas as she cried and he had glanced up briefly taking note of a Joja mart delivery truck parked down the street. He could have sworn he'd seen that same exact truck earlier too. He'd found it an odd coincidence then but with everything he knew now he suspected they were not there by chance at all.

"Son of a bitch, Allen! The drunk driver was no accident, when the police found the driver of that car staggering a few blocks away trying to run from the scene he was just bruised up. He confessed and I never thought anymore about it. A head-on collision like that should have killed him too, or at least did more damage. There was also a Joja mart delivery truck with a wonky head light down the street just watching us after the crash. I remembered it because it looked like one I saw drive by the ice cream shop an hour before. Those monsters had him killed!"

Shane felt that same shock and growing horror he felt that night on the pavement. He supposed it had never really gone away, but now a new emotion was entwining and over-taking it: rage. He punched his fist into the wall trying to use the pain to temper the boiling in his blood. He forced himself to breath and resist the urge to find their tails from earlier and kill them. He calmed the raging fire boiling in his blood. He was calm now but the rage was not gone. A cold fire seemed to solidify inside him. He would have his revenge against Joja Corporation but he would need time to think about everything he'd learned.

"Allen, you've given me a lot to think about. If Joja's already having you followed regularly then it's not out of the question they have a target on you as well."

"I'm more than aware of it, your warning about the broken arms was spot on. They had snipers on both sides of the intersection but they didn't cover the middle. How did you know?" Allen eyed him curiously. Shane didn't know how he could explain it without sounding totally crazy but after all the shit that had already happened to him today, perhaps he was crazy. "I get these weird flashes at times, sometimes it's just a bad feeling, other times it's a picture or scene of something. Sometime's it's familiar but it doesn't feel like just a random thought or memory. I've learned the hard way that no matter what I see or sense, it's never good but ignoring it is even worse."

He and Allen left the church and parted ways. Shane waited until Allen had dissipated into the darkness before beginning his own trek to the bus depot. He had originally planned on taking the train back since he had a round fair ticket but it was 11 pm and the last train left an hour ago. He also didn't want to chance being followed again. Shivering in the cold autumn air, he made his way to the bus terminus. He paid for his ticket and realized he was going to be broke for the week. He slept in short bursts on the bumpy ride back to Pelican town.


	13. Found and Lost

**Chapter 12 - Year 2**

 _Monday 1st of Spring_

It had taken a bit of convincing to get Harvey to release her from his care. She was still in a lot of pain and her stitches were maddeningly itchy. They had talked before she left and he had begged her to come see him for follow-up care by the end of the week. He had also warned her not to overexert herself and, by her own standards, she had complied. She doubted he would see it that way, but after her winter of tireless grinding for cash, today's activity had been a light day.

She had spent until 2 pm fishing near the mouth of the mining cave. She would need gold to buy seeds for the season. She sold her catches to Willy and only barely made it to Pierre's before he closed up for the evening. She was winded and sore when she made it back to her farm at 6 pm. She had tilled a 5 by 5 square to plant and only managed to fill them out because of the 3 wild seeds she had dug up during her travels. The garden was pathetically small in comparison to last year but she was essentially starting from scratch all over again.

She had foraged what she could through her travels and had healed more today than her entire hospital stay had managed. She didn't begrudge Harvey for the rather bland and barely palatable army surplus rations he fed her since she was essential a charity case but it didn't heal much compared to the food of the valley. She vowed she would pay him for all the care he'd given her. She hated being in a situation where she wasn't contributing her fair share.

After she had woken up from the pain pills that day, her and Harvey had a serious discussion. She had understood where he was coming from but the warm feeling of his declaration cooled slightly, a fear she couldn't yet name settled in a corner of her soul. He started the discussion that she had been fearing and it made her aware of some issues that had been cycling in the back of her mind for months.

"I want to help you, Yin. You've been through so much alone but that's not the case anymore. Once you've recovered from this, we're going to have a more in-depth discussion but for right now, I'll just tell you what I'm thinking." He paused, a frown marring his features as he gathered his thoughts.

Yin didn't like where this was going but she was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. She knew he just wanted to help her but she wasn't sure if he was talking as Harvey, the Doctor or just as himself. That lack of distinction shouldn't have bothered her as much as it did, but none the less, she felt familiar emotional defenses spring into high alert. The fact that he was discussing this when she was still somewhat drowsy from the pain pills also signaled a certain lack of consideration that she wasn't comfortable with. She forced herself to pay full attention to him and think about his words before giving him any kind of response.

"I am going to help you quit your nova addiction, but I'm gonna need a little trust from you in order to do that. After you're released, I'm going to schedule a follow-up visit and we're going to make a plan of treatment. I'm hoping I can come up with a plan that won't force you to suffer like you did last time. I don't doubt your will, Yin. When you have your will focused on a single goal, you're a force of nature, but my doubt comes from your tendency to keep so much to yourself. I suspect you've never really been able to trust anyone in your life and I know that's not something you can change overnight." He was gently caressing her cheek as he talked to her. The look in his eyes was loving but grating to her. He was treating her as if she'd break at any moment, directly countering his vote of confidence about her. She tried to suppress the minor hurt she felt at his lack of faith in her, reasoning that she had yet to prove otherwise to him. He had rarely seen her outside of her break downs, though he had been an indirect cause of two of them.

"Harvey, thank you for your offer to help. I know I can be a bit stubborn," he stared at her incredulously, "okay, really stubborn but I do want to get better. There's just one thing I'm uncomfortable about. If you were serious about wanting more than just to help me, then how will that work between us? Were you serious? I can accept that you might have been pressured by the heat of the moment and my abysmal condition but now that I'm on the mend, I need you to give me some space to make sense of everything."

"Yin, I..."

"No, hear me out." She took a deep calming breath and focused on the feeling that had settled in her chest after she was awoken. The words she needed came to her.

"Every time you've made any action that could constitute a declaration of romantic interest, I was in a compromised state of one form or another. Your strongest motivation has always been to heal, to fix, to mend. I'm concerned that you may have been confusing those feelings for something more or mirroring my own attraction to you in order to get close enough to try to fix me. I want you to spend the week really searching yourself and your own motivations. If you have any hesitancy or shred of doubt, I need you to be honest with me about it. It might hurt me but it would hurt a lot more if you try to be romantically involved only to reject me a season or two later.

I also have to search my own heart for those same answers. How much do I really know about you? I've poured so much of myself out to you but I know next to nothing about you in return. Can a person really love someone they know so little about? I know what my feelings are telling me but my heart has been wrong before. I can't afford to be wrong about this, especially if I want to get clean. You also have to realize that with the dangers that follow me, we won't be able to be open about our feelings in public. It's not a fair thing to ask but we both know why it would have to be that way. I want you to consider that as well, when your thinking things through. If you do decided that you want more than just to help me, we have to clearly define those boundaries. I need to know when you're telling me something as a doctor versus when you're just being Harvey. I am already putting a lot of trust in you by believing that you can keep those roles separate."

Harvey closed his eyes, frowning as he pondered her words. She had made some very valid points and it bothered him that he couldn't immediately counter them, even if he had responded. The ethics versus the reality of dating patients had always weighed on him since he took this practice. He couldn't be completely objective in such a small isolated community and he was well aware that this kind of issue could come up. His minor interest in Maru had been mostly driven by the fact that she was now on the other side of the counter. He was able to separate the co-worker from the 15 year old who had burned her hands the first year he took over for the old town doctor.

The feeling had faded quickly enough when she started getting quieter and more formal around him. He was being a little too casual with her and it had put her off. The rejection hadn't hurt all that much but it had deepend the conflict he felt about dating anyone in the valley. Yin's arrival had caught him off guard and not having treated her when she was younger, she intruiged him in a way none of the other girls in the valley could. He didn't feel like a dirty old man, in spite of her similar age to the other bachelorettes.

Yin felt horrible about bring up those points but she would have felt worse if she had kept them silent. As much as she wanted him, she knew she couldn't risk letting herself fall further for something that wasn't there. She also felt things were moving faster than she could handle and always at her weakest moments. She didn't have the first clue about healthy relationships, unless you counted those that only lasted a night or two. She had only been in something more serious twice in her life and both of them had been unhealthy at the least and abusive at worst. She could sense this had that same destructive potential if she didn't tread carefully. She didn't have any fear that Harvey was physically or sexually abusive but there were more subtle and devastating ways to hurt a person. This felt like something that could head for door three if she didn't make her concerns clear from the very beginning.

He released her the next morning without as much protest as she was expecting to have to put up and she knew her words had struck a chord with him. She wouldn't know where they stood until Friday. As she stretched and entered her home, she busied herself with her plans for the week rather than try to guess what the future might hold. Perhaps it was finally time to visit the wizard about that scroll in the community center. She could chop wood on the way back so she could make more tappers and beehives once she got off light duty and could mine again.

 _Tuesday 2nd of Spring_

 _Crack, crack, crash._ The tree fell, kicking up dirt as its branches scrapped against the dusty earth. Yin wiped her brow and took a moment to regain her breath as she pondered her visit to the enigmatic wizard, Rasmodius.

She had been wary of drinking the strange brew he claimed would allow her to commune with the Junimo but his argument had taken her by surprise. He knew she couldn't truly die in the valley. She had nearly drawn her sword in shocked anger before she remembered herself and resisted the impulse. He had the nerve to smirk at her reaction before he showed her his scrying orb.

She could sense that he had not told her everything he knew but he did explain quite a bit about the history of the valley and why the farm was unprotected.

"This valley was a battle ground for one of the most devastating conflicts our world had ever known. Long before humans had come to be, two races ruled the world. The shadow folk ruled the underworld and had mastered dark and soul magic. The elves ruled the land above and were masters of green magic and light magic. They co-existed peacefully together for millennia learning each others magics though the elves could never be truly adept at the shadow arts and the shadow folk could only use some green magics if they were particularly gifted.

A star fell from the heavens bearing new entities not native to this world. These creatures, brought strange devices and magic to the world but also greed. They tore into the earth with reckless abandon, plundering the resources with little care for the welfare of the shadow folk, elves, or any other creature. When attempts for peaceful resolution failed, the shadow folk took to arms and ruthlessly slaughtered the invaders and sabotaged their devices but the dwarves answered their violence with equal ferocity.

The elves tried to intervene, but to no avail. The elves did their best to protect the world above and sealed the underground with their magics. After years of bloody conflict, the seal was broken by a blast of corrupted energy. The twisted energy bathed the valley and corrupted all the life it touched birthing the first monsters. The elves fell victim to this energy but they did not fall to it's corruption. In a desperate bid to resist the vile unholy power they fled to the ethereal plane. In doing so, their bodies were destroyed but their spirits took on a new form and they live on today as the Junimo.

Millennia after the Elemental wars turned this valley into a cursed land of abominations, the first humans arrived. They used their own brand of magic to restore the seal on the underground, stemming the flow of dark energy. Monsters still wandered when night fell, but without the continuous flow of corruption from the cave, the day light cause the beasts to wither and burn. It gave the first settlers a foot hold from which to construct their greatest ward, the Yoba barrier.

The Yoba barrier was one of the strongest magics ever cast in the world, using the energy of the valley and weaving in the humans power and will, it was meant to last for all of time. It's greatest power derived from twelve powerful mages, who's lives were sacrificed in the casting and their souls woven into the barrier itself. But no man made thing is eternal, and in the last 50 years the power has been waning. The destruction of the seal in the mines weakened it as the barrier's power was diverted to stem the flow of corruption. Many of the bloodlines that the sacrificed mages came from have either died out or left the valley, so the barrier cannot tap into green energy directly, save through you.

As for your farm, you grandfather had noticed the weakening of the barrier two years after he returned from his tour of duty. He warned the new town mayor, Lewis, of the danger and asked him to summon a priest from the Church of Scattered Seeds. The mayor refused to comply, fearing his new position would be compromised by panic if the people knew. Your grandfather tried to make him see reason and do the right thing but the war had broken Lewis. The man you know now is but a pale shadow of the man your grandfather once called a friend.

Not having any help from Lewis, he did what little he coud do to buy time. He was married with two young children but chose to shunt the energy of the barrier protecting his farm to the town. He hoped it would be enough but he also feared for the safety of his children. His fears became reality two years later, when his son was killed by monsters after getting tangled in the overgrowth to the west near where the shrine is now. He left the valley a year to the day of his son's death. His wife had passed from the grief, her broken heart unable to bare her sorrow. Ken was an amazingly patient and kind man but the valley had cost him too much. It was a small mercy that your mother was too young to remember the sorrow and despair of that time.

Most of the book should be unlocked to you but there is still one more artifact for you to find. This artifact is the only remnant of what the shadow folk once were.

You would be doing me a great service if you allowed me to examine this artifact once you find it."

"Thank you Rasmodius, I will keep your request in mind."

Yin groaned in pain as she hoisted her pack back on her shoulders. She had just about cleared the whole damn forest by the time the setting sun brought her back to the present. She would meet with the Junimo tomorrow, and depending on that do some light mining. Harvey would not be happy if he knew but she was pretty much recovered other than some scarring and tender spots.

 _Wednesday 3_ _rd_ _of Spring,_

The Junimo were a strange race indeed from what little she had interacted with them. She doubted she would get much out of them until she completed their request. It was frustrating, but not wholly unexpected. They were only dimly aware of the beings they had once been. They still understood some elvish but their own way of communicating was vastly different now. She could still feel her head throbbing in pain from the mental connection she had shared with one of them. Pictures and feelings conveyed what they wanted, but discussing more esoteric concepts was much more difficult. She had asked about the barrier as best she could and her mind had been blasted with a disjointed mess of images and feelings that she was still trying to untangle.

She considered getting the book out to see how much more she could decipher, but decided against it. She considered the possibility that Rasmodius wasn't the only being with the ability to use a scrying orb and feared revealing the books location before she had all the pieces she needed to decipher it. Her visit with Harvey on Friday also weighed heavily on her mind.

She wasn't sure what her feelings were, even now. She wanted to love him but she knew so little about him when she really thought about it. The fact that it took so long for her to question that scared her more than she would like to admit. She was always on guard when it came to people, especially romantic interests that want more than a night of fun, but he had blindsided her. He had slipped through her defenses with almost no effort. She wanted to trust him but she couldn't bring herself to fully fall for him. He was too good to be true, in many ways. She didn't want to be always taking, always leaning on him, to make her strong again.

The rest of the week passed agonizingly slow. She filled her days with various tasks and managed to fill out her garden. It was Thursday evening now, as she finished placing the last of her newly crafted quality sprinklers. The sun was just starting to touch the horizon as she sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow. She was just turning to head back into her house when she heard the rustle of bushes just past her mushroom cave. It was too early for the monsters to come out, but she drew her slingshot. Her gut instinct was proven right when a streak of purple ran away from her direction toward her grandfathers shrine.

She gave chase, wishing she had Lewis's bow, as she cornered the man at the shrine.

"Morris, you rat faced weasel! Get off my property now!" She flung another rock at his direction with her sling shot, pelting him on the leg. She smiled in grim satisfaction as he crumpled to the dirt but she kept her guard up as she slowly approached his prone form.

He rolled out of the way of her next shot, removing a small revolver from his disheveled vest pocket. "You'll pay for what you've done to me, you harpy _**bitch**_ **!** "

She felt an explosion of pain in her chest as the bullet tore through her. She would die here but she would be damned if she let him walk free. She summoned all her energy and jabbed her sword deep into the bastard's chest, twisting it as she felt it exit the other side. The surprise and shock on his face would have been almost comical if it weren't for the blackness invading her own vision.

She felt the blackness overtaking her and her last though was of her grandfather's warning.

She awoke in the grey mist she had come to know so well, her grandfather appeared but his face was mournful and grave. He did not speak as the shadows gathered beside him, taking on a grotesque humanoid form. It opened it's twisted misshapen mouth and spoke, it's voice inhumanly low and gravelly. "Three deaths bind you, cursed child. You were warned but you did not pay heed. You will not die but the cost you must pay will be dire. Your punishment will be obscurity. All those to whom your heart is connected in the valley will forget you. All your friendships, your love, and the one you hate will remember nothing of you. In spite of the power you abused, there is still a chance to redeem yourself. Even in the depths of your hatred, you did not evoke this magic for your own gain, but to protect the valley from threat.

Friendship, love, and hatred lost, you can build these back anew should you desire to. But heed my warning, should death visit thrice more in the year to come, the shrine will be completely drained and your state will become a permanent one. Only when you prove yourself worthy will the power that sleeps in this valley be yours.

Yin could feel the heat of her tears streaming down her face as the grey mist entered her chest, draining a strange red energy from her. "I don't want whatever this power of the valley is!" The specter laughed cruelly, "It is your blood and birthright, a heritage you cannot deny. You will become the guardian this valley needs or you will die and the valley with you. These are your only choices."


End file.
